Traveling for work? Hotel safety is a must

Do you travel for work – even if it’s just once a year for a safety conference? “As with other aspects of safety, being prepared and aware of potential risks are the key to a safe trip in your home country or elsewhere in the world,” the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety says.

To make your work trip a safe one, CCOHS recommends:

• Choosing hotels in safe locations that take extra measures to provide security for guests.
• Ensuring your reservation is guaranteed, even if you arrive late. Try to arrange it so you arrive at your destination before dark.
• Sharing your schedule with your co-workers so they know how to reach you. Follow a check-in procedure, including calling a prearranged contact when you arrive safely.
• Being aware of your surroundings. “You look less vulnerable when you are busy,” CCOHS notes.
• Ensuring your hotel room has a peephole, dead bolt and chain lock.
• Instructing hotel staff not to give your room number or name to anyone.
• Checking that the locks and telephone work in your room. Report anything suspicious to hotel management.

Additionally, never open your hotel room door without verifying who is on the other side. If the person claims to be an employee, call the front desk to confirm. Don’t invite strangers into the room or go to a stranger’s room. If you’re meeting a colleague, make sure to do so in a public location, such as the hotel lobby or restaurant.

For more travel safety tips, visit ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/travel_safety.html.