Employers can avoid claims by planning for overseas travel risks
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Outside of purchasing foreign voluntary workers compensation insurance, companies can take steps to protect their workers from being injured in a foreign location.
Employers should plan ahead for potential travel risks and inform employees about those hazards before they leave for an overseas assignment, said Bruce Cohen, Washington-based managing director of Marsh Inc.'s international casualty practice. Such discussions should involve risk management, operations and human resources professionals who can strategize how to best protect the company's workers, he said.
Mary Beth Pittinger, vice president and workers compensation executive underwriter for Chubb & Son Inc. in Whitehouse Station, N.J., said companies should establish a travel safety program that informs workers how to protect themselves from endemic diseases or security threats.
Ms. Pittinger noted that a number of insurance claims result from older executives who suffer deep vein thrombosis from regular air travel. A travel safety program, she said, can teach workers how to prevent such conditions and take care of their health while working in other countries.
Additionally, auto accidents are a prime cause of injuries among employees working abroad, Ms. Pittinger said. She recommends that employers inform their workers about international road rules before a trip, or hire drivers who can help employees safely navigate foreign roads.
