BS ISO 31030:2021

What is ISO 31030 about?

ISO 31030 on travel risk management aims to promote a culture where travel-related risk is taken seriously, resourced adequately, and managed effectively. ISO 31030 gives guidance to organizations on how to manage the risk(s), to the organization and its traveller’s, as a result of undertaking travel. It proposes that the organization’s overall appetite and acceptance of risk should not take precedence, or be used exclusively, in deciding whether travel is appropriate for security, safety or health reasons.

Note: ISO 31030 does not apply to tourism and leisure-related travel, except about travellers travelling on behalf of the organization.

Who is ISO 31030 for?

ISO 31030 on travel risk management and guidance for the organization is useful for:

• Commercial organizations
• Charitable and not-for-profit
• Governmental organizations
• Non-governmental organizations
• Educational organizations.

Specific users of ISO 31030 can be:

• Risk managers/analysts/officers
• Risk operations managers
• Business continuity managers
• Compliance officers
• Resilience managers
• Security managers
• Corporate and physical security personnel
• Executive protection personnel

Why should you use ISO 31030?

Travelling has increasingly become a common feature of people’s jobs or functions. Consequently, organizations need to meet their duty of care across multiple jurisdictions in different parts of the world. Travel risk management (TRM) requires that organizations anticipate and assess the potential for events, develop treatments and communicate anticipated risk exposures to their travellers. Advising and providing travellers with adequate medical and emergency response guidance, security, and information security precautions, including challenges to travel logistics, can significantly impact the outcome of disruptive events.

ISO 31030 provides a means for your organization to demonstrate that travel decision is based on the organization’s capacity to treat risk using internal resources or with external assistance. ISO 31030 is the only international standard covering the topic of travel risk management and can be particularly important to organizations as they review their travel risk given the COVID-19 pandemic. ISO 31030 can help your organization to:

• Protect personnel, data, intellectual property and assets
• Reduce legal and financial exposure
• Enable business in higher-risk locations
• Enhance reputation and credibility, which in turn can positively impact competitiveness and staff retention and acquisition
• Contribute to strengthening business continuity and resilience
• Demonstrate to stakeholders that robust governance is in place, which may lower insurance premiums and make investors more willing to commit funds
• Enter new markets and accelerate innovation, by giving organizations the confidence to take opportunities they would otherwise miss
• Develop expertise in travel management
• Operate more efficiently and grow sustainably

Overall, ISO 31030 helps you to evaluate potential risks and hazards your employees might face while on business tours and provides solutions to mitigate the risks, thus enhancing employee safety and limiting disruption in the organization’s operations.