Managing Risks for Student Travel: ISO 31031 and Beyond
by GBTA Canadian Risk Committee
School trips can be exciting and enriching experiences for students, but they also come with certain risks, especially when it comes to managing travel related health and safety risks. Whether it’s a short local outing or a longer international tour, youth trips expose both students and staff to various challenges.
Each year, millions of young people participate in school trips, but many of these excursions lead to injuries or even fatalities due to inadequate risk management. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has been working to tackle the specific challenges and needs related to risk management in the education sector and has recently released the new "ISO 31031 – Managing Travel Risks – Guidance for Organizations." This standard is designed to help prevent incidents involving students by offering a structured method for handling the unique risks associated with youth, students, universities, and school-related travel. It highlights the critical areas that educational institutions must focus on to ensure the safety and protection of both staff and students.
Why ISO 31031 is Important for Academic Travel
In recent years, schools have been organizing a wider range of school trip experiences, from local excursions to international adventures. While these trips provide valuable learning, they can also expose students to various risks, including health issues, security challenges, accidents, and emergency situations.
ISO 31031 aims to help schools anticipate and address these types of challenges through clear, actionable guidelines. Educational institutions can use this framework to ensure that they are fully prepared to deal with the risks associated with school trips, minimizing the likelihood of health and security risks turning into bigger issues and emergencies during travel.
Key Areas of ISO 31031
ISO 31031 focuses on several important aspects that schools need to consider when planning trips. These include:
1. Identifying and assessing risks
The first step in managing risks for school trips is understanding what those risks are. For schools, this could range from health and safety issues, like gastrointestinal or respiratory concerns, to broader risks such as accidents or local security threats.
ISO 31031 encourages schools to assess these risks carefully before planning any trips, factoring in variables like destination, mode of transport, student health conditions, and emergency preparedness. By staying informed through reliable sources, schools can make informed decisions to keep students safe and reduce the need for emergency intervention.
2. Special considerations for young travelers
Students, especially children, have different vulnerabilities than adults, making them less equipped to handle challenges that may arise during travel.
ISO 31031 places a strong emphasis on creating travel risk management policies that are tailored to the needs of minors, ensuring adequate supervision, health precautions, and response plans for various scenarios. For example, schools should make sure there are enough staff members to always supervise students. They should also plan for things like medical emergencies, food allergies, or other health-related issues that could arise.
3. Being prepared for Emergencies
Emergencies can happen at any time, and ISO 31031 emphasizes the importance of being ready for them. Schools should have a well-structured plan in place for dealing with medical emergencies, accidents, or other unexpected incidents. For example, having quick access to the 24/7 expert assistance, medical facilities or a clear evacuation plan can make all the difference when managing serious injuries or illnesses.
4. Clear Communication and Supervision
Supervision and communication are two critical components of any school trip involving younger students. Ensuring that trip leaders can stay in constant contact with students and staff, as well as with the school and parents, is key to a smooth trip. ISO 31031 recommends clear communication channels and protocols that allow for quick responses to any issues that arise.
5. Training for Trip Leaders
Leading a school trip involves significant responsibility, especially when dealing with large groups of students in unfamiliar environments. ISO 31031 highlights the importance of providing trip leaders with the necessary training to manage risk, handle emergencies, and ensure students’ safety.
This training should cover essential topics such as first aid, handling difficult behavior, and understanding the local culture or health risks. It’s also important to provide trip leaders and students with proper training on local laws and customs so they don’t inadvertently break them and end up in legal trouble or cultural misunderstandings. Given that many calls into assistance providers involve requests for information, trip leaders should be equipped to seek and apply advice as needed to keep students safe.
Topics not covered under ISO 31031
While the guidance provides a fairly comprehensive framework for managing student travel risk, a review of travel programs at leading scholastic institutions brings to light a number of other considerations worth noting.
Identity and Diversity
Individual traveler profile characteristics can multiply the risk level of a destination, and your travel risk program should identify these multipliers, and include specific advice and adequate protection to all your student travelers.
Mental Health
Adapting to a new culture can be challenging and factors such as culture shock, homesickness, and changes in living conditions can have a significant impact on both physical and emotional health. For students with existing mental health conditions, it is essential to plan in advance - consult with your mental health provider to discuss your travel plans, secure necessary prescriptions, and obtain any relevant documentation. Additionally, research the availability of mental health services in the host country and familiarize yourself with local resources.
Sexual health and travel
Different countries may have varying rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or access to healthcare, so understanding how to protect themselves is essential. Additionally, contraception and sexual health resources may not be as easily accessible in some areas, and young travelers should know how to obtain what they need while abroad. Cultural differences in attitudes towards sex can also impact behavior, so it's important to be aware of local customs and laws.
Safe Use of Social Media
Sharing real-time updates about your location can make you a target for theft, scams, or other risks. It’s important to avoid revealing specific details about your whereabouts or travel plans until after you’ve left a location. Posting too much personal information online can also expose you to identity theft or unwanted attention. Being cautious about what you share helps protect your privacy. Different cultures have varying views on what is acceptable to post online. Posting without understanding local customs or laws can inadvertently offend people or even result in legal trouble.
Ethical Photography
Photos can either reinforce stereotypes and harmful power imbalances or challenge them by offering more detailed and complex narratives to the public. Even if harm isn't intended, the images and stories you share might still play a role in perpetuating stereotypes.
ISO 31031 is set to become a vital resource for schools and educational institutions that want to ensure the safety of their students and staff during trips. By following the guidelines in this new standard, schools can better manage health risks, such as gastrointestinal issues, physical injuries, and respiratory diseases, which are some of the most common concerns during school trips.
Resources
ISO 31031:2024 - Managing risk for youth and school trips
Identity Abroad - Global Learning - Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)
Identity, Diversity & Inclusion | Maryland Global
Diversity, Identity, and Student Experiences | Education Abroad at PCC
Resilient Traveling (University of Michigan)
Mental Health and Travel | Travelers' Health | CDC
Global Learning Hub - Sexual Health Abroad (University of California Davis)
Summer travel and social media (Yale University)
How to Communicate The World: A Social Media Guide for Volunteers and Travelers (Randi-Aid)
Ethical Global Photography Guidelines - UNC Global Affairs