Key points of ABTA Advanced Health and Safety Seminar

On November 13, Preverisk Group participated in the Annual and International Health and Safety Seminar organized by ABTA, of which we were not only the speakers of specific sections, but also collaborated as official sponsors of the event. The event took place at the historic Kings College London, an internationally recognized space. The theme of the Seminar revolved around the new business models (Bedbanks), adventure tourism / "extreme" excursions, focusing on how to protect your business from the point of view of documentation (SMS).

Terry Auld, member of our panel of experts delved into the importance of having a safety management system for travel providers, specifically explaining:

-         The process they needed to go through to set up a system

-         How they could manage the process in a cost effective and efficient way

-         The importance of working with all areas of their business to ensure that the SMS became a core area of their operation

-         The need to verify the information they use when advising suppliers and customers

-         The benefits robust processes bring to their company and to their customers.

Esteban Delgado, Technical Director and President of the company, participated in the debate "When things go wrong". He provided practical information on the first steps we took when we called a tour operator to help control and investigate an outbreak of disease, usually "gastric disease" in a hotel. The importance of having good records and monitoring of clients who report symptoms either to the hotel or the tour operator guides is essential for a good resolution. This information is key in order to have good epidemiological interpretations of the possible problem, even before sending a field consultant.

The other side of this type of crisis is the opportunity it offers for research and learning, through which future incidents can be prevented. However, it is always advisable to avoid any incident.

Once again, together with our partners Kennedys, one of the leading travel lawyers in the United Kingdom, who also participate as speakers, complementing our knowledge with their expertise in legal matters.

The Manager of the Virgin Holidays H&S Team also gave a perspective as to how Virgin managed their H&S Processes.

In general, it was a very illustrative seminar for delegates from different sectors related to the tourism sector, and also very rewarding for those who have our knowledge and information shared with professionals in the field of travel