Signed organisations

The Singapore Declaration
on Work-Related Travel Safety, Health and Security

The Work-Related Travel Safety, Health and Security Summit,

Having met in Singapore, on 03 September 2017 on the occasion of the XXI World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, The Work-Related Travel Safety, Health and Security Summit, supported by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower and the International SOS Foundation, with the participation of senior professionals, employers’ and workers’ representatives, social security representatives, policy-makers, administrators, and representatives of organisations and institutions.

Recognising that there is a considerable growth of international business due to globalisation, new markets and the need for services resulting in an increased number of people travelling as part of their work or on assignment away from home,

Understanding that whereas in the recent past, focus has been on the executive traveller, today there are many types of workers travelling from one country to another for work,

Recognising that the demographic diversity of individuals travelling is increasing,

Recalling from the Seoul Declaration, that the right to a safe and healthy working environment should be recognised as a fundamental human right and that globalisation must go hand in hand with preventative measures to ensure the safety and health of all at work, 

Recognising that the preamble of the Constitution of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recognises the “...protection of workers against sickness, disease and injury arising out of his employment…” and “…protection of the interests of workers when employed in countries other than their own …”,

Recalling that the ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (C 155) states, “Employers shall be required to provide, where necessary, for measures to deal with emergencies and accidents, including adequate first-aid arrangements.”,

Understanding that the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy states that “…Governments should ensure that both multinational and national enterprises provide adequate safety and health standards and contribute to a preventative safety and health culture in enterprises progressively achieving a safe and healthy working environment.”,

Bearing in mind that several countries have enacted legislation that extends national safety and health legislation to workers travelling or assigned overseas,

Considering that the British Standards Institution has enacted a consensus-based code of practice on travelling for work,

Recalling from the Seoul Declaration the importance of education, training, consultation and the exchange of information and good practices on prevention and the promotion of preventative measures, 

Welcoming the continuous progress achieved through national and international efforts to improve safety and health at work (from the Istanbul Declaration),

Recognising the historic importance of the Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work adopted by the Safety and Health Summit on 29 June 2008 on the occasion of the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work (from the Istanbul Declaration),


Declares that:

1. Internationally:

• The protection of the safety, health and security of individuals travelling or on international assignments as part of their work should be given high priority by governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations as well as by organisations and institutions. These travellers and assignees should be included in programmes that promote such protection. 
• Tripartite efforts (by governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations) should be made to establish leadership that will encourage the building and reinforcement of a travel safety, health and security culture through initiatives such as Vision Zero.

2. At the level of the government:

• Governments should identify, modify or create as necessary guidelines and appropriate regulation to protect the safety, health and security of workers while travelling and of assignees, having regard to any existing legal obligations.

3. At the level of the employer:

• Employers should have in place policies, directives, procedures and protocols to ensure that workers travelling abroad are afforded at least the same level of protection as in their home country or such higher level of protection as may be required in their destination or host country, having regard to existing legal obligations. These instruments should be aligned with the organisation’s objectives.
• Employers should establish and maintain reasonable means to identify and control safety, health and security risks for the travelling worker and for assignees and, as part of that process, identify any appropriate preventative and protective measures and communicate these to those workers.
• All reasonable efforts should be made to brief travellers and assignees adequately on identified and potential risks that they may face and control measures that could be taken to eliminate or mitigate the impact of these risks.
• Employers should have in place reasonable means of managing travel and assignment-related incidents with a view to ensuring the safety, health and security of their travelling workers and assignees prior to, during and after the travel or assignments.
  
  

4. At the level of workers:
Workers and their representatives should be consulted on travel and assignment safety, health and security matters and should be required, having regard also to applicable legal obligations, to:

• Follow safety, health and security procedures prior to, during and after travel and assignments.
• Participate in relevant safety, health and security briefings and training.
• Report any travel- or assignment-related threats or hazards.
• Report any incident that arises during the travel or assignment, or before or after it, as appropriate.
• Follow established com¬munications procedures.Cooperate with their employers, as necessary, relating to travel and assignment safety, health and security.
  
  

5. The signatories are in agreement that safety, health and security of work travellers is important and we are aligned with the principles outlined in the Declaration.