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IOSH and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global travel and tourism private sector, have published a number of guides to enable businesses within the travel industry return to work safely.
The collaboration, which includes a memorandum of collaboration to help ensure the protection of both employees in travel and tourism and travellers, aims to help the 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.
'There needs to be a planned, risk-controlled approach – based on strong leadership, worker involvement and sound health and safety advice'
'Restarting operations isn’t something which can happen overnight,' said Bev Messinger, IOSH chief executive. '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.
'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.'
Gloria Guevara, president chief executive of WTTC, said: '[We are] 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.'
More information on a safe return to work is available here.