A robust travel Baltimore Security program is critical to ensuring the safety and health of employees when traveling for work. Whether the issue is theft of company data or navigating sudden geopolitical instability, such incidents require advanced planning and responsiveness.

Lone female travelers may find themselves the focus of curiosity in some destinations – a door wedge and/or portable alarm can provide added peace of mind. Also, refrain from sharing your travel plans on social media until you return home.

Traveling to foreign locations presents certain security risks that can be mitigated by taking a proactive approach to personal travel safety. Being aware of a destination’s political, economic, and cultural context and developing local relationships is vital. Staying situationally aware and always noticing what’s going on around you (not just people, but the environment as well) is also critical. Your senses are heightened when you are away from home or some other safe static location so it’s important to be able to recognize and interpret cultural cues and nuances as they occur.

Understanding the local security threats and what to expect on a business trip can help travelers reduce their risk exposure. The key is to provide travellers with the right level of information, training and preparation to support them as they move through unfamiliar environments, increasing their confidence and competence.

This is why a comprehensive travel safety & security program is so important for businesses today. It’s not only a critical part of an organization’s duty of care for its employees, but it’s also a way to protect its reputation and brand by demonstrating that the company is committed to protecting their wellbeing.

Developing a successful travel security program takes time and requires collaboration between stakeholders, including business leaders, travel managers, and employees. The goal is to find the right balance of preventative and reactive measures that will help protect employees, customers, and the overall business. It’s also important to track trends in security incidents and events so that policies can be reviewed, adjusted, and implemented as needed. Travel intelligence is a great source of information for this purpose.

Know your destination.

Terrorism, natural disasters, political unrest and other unexpected events can disrupt a trip. In addition, many Notre Dame travelers are exposed to a wide range of risks while they’re abroad:

To help minimize these issues and ensure that Notre Dame travel is as safe as possible, our approach to travel security takes a holistic, integrated approach that starts well before a traveler even gets on their flight. This includes identifying key vulnerabilities for every destination, and integrating those into a risk mitigation framework that can be updated with on-the-ground threat intelligence and information from the U.S. Department of State and other sources.

In addition, it’s important to understand local cultures and customs when planning trips. For example, lone female travelers should be aware that some countries may perceive them as a curiosity and should consider the possibility of being stared at or harassed on their trip. This could include a need to dress differently, or to decline invitations from strangers to attend after-dark entertainment or other activities. Packing a door wedge and portable alarm can provide some extra reassurance, and women’s only hotel floors are also available in some destinations.

It’s also a good idea to register your travel with the U.S. Embassy and sign up for their travel alerts (link is external). It’s a free service that allows them to send you direct emails, text messages and phone calls with important safety information for your destination country. It’s a simple way to stay informed and reduce your chances of being caught off guard by an event while you’re on the go. It’s not just a smart thing to do, it’s the law.

Know your hotel’s safety features.

If you’re a hotel owner or manager, security is at the top of your priority list. After all, guests are increasingly discerning and demand a safe environment for their stay. They research hotels and read reviews to ensure they’re booking a secure establishment. If yours doesn’t meet their expectations, it could put a dent in your reputation.

The first step to ensuring your hotel is as secure as possible is to focus on physical security. This includes everything from locking mechanisms to CCTV solutions that keep people out of the property and prevents unauthorized entry.

Moreover, it’s also important to make sure your team knows what to do in an emergency. That means training them to be able to recognise suspicious behaviour and respond accordingly. This can include teaching them to ask specific questions, like “Does this person seem trustworthy?”

Other measures you might consider are deploying smart locks and key cards with biometric authentication. These enable you to track who is in the room and reduce the risk of unauthorized entry by requiring two-factor authentication. Providing back-up communication protocols and holding regular drills are also good practices. These will help you to identify gaps in your systems and improve them.

Know the emergency exits.

The emergency exits in a building are there for a reason, and that is to allow people safe passage out of the structure during an emergency. However, they aren’t always as accessible as they should be. Often times, these routes can become blocked by furniture or other items in the way, and even if they are not, it may take too long to find them during an evacuation. Luckily, there are ways to prevent this from happening.

To begin with, all exit routes must be easily recognizable and located in an open position that is permanent. They also must be unobstructed by dead-end corridors, equipment, or locked doors. Furthermore, any passages along the route that are not an exit must be clearly marked and labeled as such. The escape route should also be free of any items that could hinder its usage during a crisis, and fire-retardant paints or solutions must be renewed regularly.

Additionally, the area surrounding these escape routes must be sufficiently large to accommodate all occupants of the building. Lastly, designated safety personnel should be responsible for monitoring these pathways for any objects that might be in the way and have clear guidelines to remove them as soon as possible.

Additionally, it is not uncommon for security guards to check the identities of those using the emergency doors and if they seem suspicious or are carrying prohibited items. These measures are all in place to help prevent unauthorized access and keep travelers as safe as possible during their stay.

Know where to turn in an emergency.

In case of a crisis on the road, it’s important to have some idea of where you can go or who you can call for help. This includes locating the nearest embassy or consulate, and knowing the contact information for local police stations and other emergency departments. It’s also a good idea to make sure that you have local landmarks memorized, and to have the address of your hotel written down or in a safe place (and hopefully with a phone number saved as well).

Prior to travel, be sure all devices have the latest security updates installed. Additionally, ensure that passwords, screen locks, and timeout functions are active, and that any personal data is backed up online or stored on external drives or other portable devices. It’s a good idea to disable file-sharing or printer-sharing applications, and to set secure passwords on all accounts and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.

Travel security is an essential part of any company’s duty-of-care policies for its employees, and can significantly reduce the risk of injury or harm during business travel. It’s all about being informed, taking precautions, and staying aware of your surroundings. With these simple steps, you can be confident in your ability to keep yourself safe while on the road!