The Anvil Group, a specialist in crisis avoidance services, today issued a warning to UK businesses on the effects of the impending Corporate Manslaughter Act, due out on the 6th of April.  The Anvil Group advises businesses to place duty of care obligations and security at the forefront of their agendas.  All businesses with travelling employees need to review both their travel and health and safety policies now in order to avoid prosecution.

The Act will clarify the criminal liabilities of companies where serious failures in the management of health and safety result in a fatality when an employee is travelling on company business.  Companies that are successfully prosecuted will be fined and face a publicity order, requiring them to publicise the details of the offence.

“The Corporate Manslaughter Act will have a significant impact in the way which a business books and manages travel.  Every corporation with travelling employees is required to show a duty of care to all their employees irrespective of location and ensure that their health, safety and wellbeing is guaranteed when travelling on company business,” says The Anvil Group Director, Matthew Judge.  “With the act only mere weeks away, it’s imperative that organisations review their travel policies, to ensure that safety and security measures are included in the policies.”

With travel being an integral part of a business today, duty of care obligations have grown to be all the more pertinent.  Corporations need to take measures to ensure they are complying with traditional Health and Safety legislation and with the Corporate Manslaughter Act by implementing safety management systems, such as The Anvil Group’s Employee Travel Monitoring System (ETMS) and Travel Risk Intelligence System (TRIS).

“We have been using TRIS to stay well informed of any risks that may be associated with our employees travel itineraries and implement this into our business travel plans,” says Nomura Internationals Head Of Security, Mark Hanna.  “It is important that we as an organisation demonstrate the utmost duty of care to our employees and TRIS is helping us to do this in relation to our business travel.”

“Through implementing traveller tracking and risk intelligence solutions businesses have the tools they need to ensure travellers and themselves are informed of any developing risks,” adds Judge.