WTTC releases guidelines for safe return to work

October 1, 2020

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) have signed a memorandum of collaboration aimed at ensuring the protection of both employees in Travel and Tourism and travellers.

As part of the collaboration, IOSH and WTTC, which represents the Travel and Tourism private sector globally, have released a number of guides to enable businesses within the Travel and Tourism sector to return to work safely.

These include:

• Returning safely guide

• Risk assessments guide

• COVID-19 ergonomic factsheet

• Maintaining good leadership principles factsheet

• Mental health and wellbeing – working from home factsheet

• Remote workers guide.

As organisations within the Travel and Tourism sector seek to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, rebuilding consumer confidence through safety and health protocols in all tourism operations has emerged as one of the biggest priorities for WTTC, and the wider sector.

As the chartered body for occupational safety and health professionals and leading developer of safety and health training courses, IOSH is ideally placed to provide support in preventing accidents and ill health in the sector.

This collaboration aims to help the Travel and Tourism sector recover from the pandemic by leveraging IOSH’s experience and practical solutions to help the organisations and businesses best look after the safety and health of their workforce.

The memorandum was signed by IOSH Chief Executive, Bev Messinger and WTTC President and Chief Executive, Gloria Guevara on Tuesday 29th September. It was followed by a webinar on Wednesday 30th September, where Messinger addressed members of WTTC.

Messinger advised “the purpose of this collaboration is to support the WTTC and the businesses in the Travel and Tourism sector at this difficult time with our expertise and resources to keep your employees safe and healthy.

“Restarting operations isn’t something which can happen overnight. There needs to be a planned, risk-controlled approach – based on strong leadership, worker involvement and sound health and safety advice – to ensure safe people, workplaces, systems and equipment. IOSH’s Returning safely campaign has offered fresh advice to help people carry out COVID risk assessments and update the ways they work to ensure everyone stays safe and societies and economies recover.”

Guevara added “WTTC is delighted to partner with IOSH on such an important set of guidelines. The Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way we work, and we hope that at the right time companies begin to return to offices, with the right protocols and measures in place to protect and safeguard their staff.. Consumer and employee confidence is a key component in the recovery of the Travel and Tourism sector, and we believe that these guidelines will play a significant role in that process.”

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