Work related travel, like all travel took a nose dive when the COVID-19 pandemic shook the work, and transport everywhere came to standstill. As people start moving again, the dramatic events of the last year have highlighted just how important it is to be prepared for any eventuality. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has released a new standard that provides guidance for all kinds of organizations on how to manage travel risks and what they can do should an incident occur.

ISO 31030:2021 Travel risk management-Guidance for organizations gives guidance to organizations on how to manage the risks to the organization and its travellers because of undertaking a travel. It provides guidance for organizations on assessing risk factors related to travel and how to develop plans to address and communicate them.

This standard is applicable to any type of organisation irrespective of sector or size including but not limited to commercial organizations, charitable or not for profit organizations, government organizations, and educational organizations.

It should be noted that this standard does not apply to tourism and leisure related travel except to travellers travelling on behalf of the organization.

By adhering to the principles stipulated in the standard, organizations will not only protect their workers but also demonstrate that their decisions related to risk are based on solid and reliable information.

The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) is in the process of adopting this international standard as a national standard. Those who want to purchase the newly published international standard can do so through the MBS. This standard is available at a price of K139,500.00