COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONS for STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Transcription

1 COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONS fr STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS Belw is a list f items t address and questins that need t be addressed in the cmprehensive safety assessment. In additin t the safety cncerns addressed belw, the Study Abrad Office asks that faculty directrs address any additinal cncerns specific t the prgram s lcatin. Please nte that the Study Abrad Office requires a safety assessment bth t plan fr the safety f the faculty directr(s) and students and t serve as written dcumentatin f the risk assessment, and planning fr safety that has taken place prir t a prgram s departure. The SAO relies n faculty directrs t serve as the expert n the prgram site. We appreciate yur effrts in preparing fr the safety f the prgram. U.S. State Department Cnsular Infrmatin Sheet Please review the U.S. Department f State Cuntry Specific Infrmatin fr the prgram s cuntry. Please address any cncerns listed in the State Department s reprt. Cnfirm whether the students will be taken t any lcatins listed under the Safety and Security sectin f the Cnsular Infrmatin Sheet, and if s, what precautins are in place t prtect them. Prgram Lcatin(s), Husing, and Meals Please discuss the lcatin f the prgram including: Living arrangements and study lcatin Please prvide infrmatin regarding the student husing during the prgram and assess any ptential safety cncerns with the husing (e.g., access t exits, public transprtatin nearby, safe lighting, telephnes nearby, fire hazards) Safety f travel between living lcatin and study lcatin (can als be addressed under transprtatin ) and whether these lcatins are cnsidered t be in safe part(s) f the city. Please nte why students shuld feel cmfrtable studying and traveling in the lcatin. Please cnfirm that the faculty directr(s) will be hused in the same city as the students fr the duratin f the prgram, ideally in clse vicinity r within easy traveling distance t the grup. Discuss safety f the lcatins f any prgram related travel and excursins. Discuss safety cncerns related t independent travel f students befre, during and/r after the prgram dates. The SAO recmmends faculty address these cncerns in pre-departure infrmatin sessins with students. Are there any lcatins near the prgram site that are cnsidered unsafe where students will nt be allwed t g? If s, please prvided detailed instructins in this safety assessment and discuss hw students will be infrmed f this. Discuss any ptential health cncerns related t meals, and the availability f clean drinking water.

2 Transprtatin Arrival - When students arrive at the lcal r internatinal airprt, will they be transprted as a grup t the prgram site? If s, please prvide details f the grup transprtatin. If students are t travel n their wn, please nte the pre-departure infrmatin that will be prvided t students in rder t ensure their safe travel t the prgram site. Prgram Travel - Please list the transprtatin planned fr all grup travel. Will students be using public transprtatin? If s, what infrmatin will be prvided t the students t assist them in ding s? Will chartered buses be used, and hw have yu ensured high quality with regard t safety? Faculty Driving Plicy - It is a plicy f NC State University that faculty directrs are nt allwed t drive students as part f any prgram activity. Please cnfirm that the faculty directr(s) will nt be in the psitin t drive students during prgram related activities, and that drivers fr prgram-related travel will be trained and insured prfessinals. While plicy des nt prhibit faculty directrs frm driving students utside prgram time, nte that faculty are taking n a persnal liability risk by driving students at any time. Emergency Evacuatin In the event f a majr emergency r prblem faculty directrs may need t evacuate the students ut f the area r even the cuntry; therefre, it is imprtant t think abut and develp an evacuatin plan. HTH Wrldwide and the US embassy r cnsulate can prvide assistance, but faculty n-site must have general ideas hw the grup culd evacuate if necessary. What if the internatinal airprt is clsed r unavailable? Are there trains ut f the cuntry? If s, frm where t where? Des the prgram have a designated travel agency r ther vendr n-site that can prvide assistance in case f an emergency? Where wuld yu find husing fr the students if there were a fire r ther disaster in their htel? Overnight Travel - Many f the mst serius accidents n study abrad prgrams (including multiple fatalities) have ccurred during travel at night. Overnight travel, defined as travel that ccurs ver the night and int the next day, will nt be permitted n NC State prgrams unless faculty directrs clearly dcument and justify the need and receive prir permissin frm the Study Abrad Office in writing. Please cnfirm that yur prgram will nt include vernight travel. Medical Facilities Please research and list the lcatin f the nearest English-speaking dctr and mental health care prvider t the prgram site. This infrmatin is available n the HTH Wrldwide website. Lgin access t this sectin can be prvided t faculty directrs by the Study Abrad Office staff. If the prgram visits multiple lcatins, please have a list f English-speaking dctrs s that yu always knw where t find the nearest English-speaking dctr. NOTE: If the dctrs are nt in HTH s netwrk, students will need t pay ut f pcket fr any medical treatment, get a claim frm frm the HTH, and then submit the claim fr reimbursement. The SAO recmmends that faculty directrs seek ut the nearest HTH-apprved dctr s the students will nt have t pay ut-f-pcket at the time f service. Faculty Directr Cntact Infrmatin and Backup The faculty directr will need t be reachable at all times, either by cell phne r by prviding a list f the telephne numbers where yu can be reached. The SAO may need t cntact yu, parents may need t reach yu r their sn/daughter, r yu may need t reach us in case f an emergency. Please nte whether the faculty directr will have a cell phne during the prgram, and prvide that phne number if knwn at this time

3 Have the students been infrmed as t whm they shuld check-in with if they hear f an emergency in r near the prgram lcatin while they are away frm the grup? Fr example, if there was news f a bmb explsin in the city while students have free time, wh shuld they check-in with s the faculty directr, SAO, and parents are aware that the student is safe? Please indicate in the safety assessment wh will serve as back-up in case the faculty directr is unavailable, r in case a student gets sick and a staff member needs t stay with the grup while the ther staff member stays with the student. This can be a secnd faculty directr, a respnsible student assistant, r can be cntracted with yur n-site vendr. Registratin with and lcatin f U.S. Embassy The Study Abrad Office requires that all prgrams register their students with the U.S. Department f State via the Smart Traveler Enrllment Prgram (STEP). Enrllment gives yu access t updated infrmatin abut areas abrad and makes it easier fr the US Embassy r Cnsulate t cntact and assist yu if a crisis ccurs in yur current lcatin. Please indicate in yur safety assessment that yu intend t enrll yur students via STEP. Faculty directrs are encuraged t als request t receive alerts & warnings fr specific cuntries via STEP. Prvide the address and cntact inf fr the embassy that is the clsest t the prgram site as well as the address and cntact inf fr the embassy that will be clsest when the grup travels. Emergency Meeting Places and Other Study Abrad Prgrams Identify an emergency meeting place fr each city yu will visit as a grup, in case the grup is separated, and prvide that infrmatin in the safety assessment. Will students be ntified f these places in advance? Are there any ther study abrad prgrams in the prgram city r cuntry that yu culd use as a resurce fr general infrmatin, as well as in case f an emergency? Which prgrams are these? Pre-departure Infrmatin Faculty directrs are required by the Study Abrad Office t hld at least ne rientatin sessin befre departure, but it is recmmended that prgram directrs hld a few s that students have all the prgram details. Please discuss the infrmatin that yu will yu prvide yur students with in advance f the prgram. The SAO recmmends faculty directrs prvide students with a pre-departure handbk specific t the lcatin f the prgram. Students will receive a general handbk frm the SAO, but it's a gd idea t prepare students in advance with specific infrmatin in writing s they can then share this with their family/friends. Please prvide ur ffice with cpies f any materials yu give t students. Additinal Cncerns Please cnfirm that yu will nt be leading mre than ne prgram at a time. Please address any additinal cncerns that might be raised by students, parents, r University fficials.

4 SAFETY STEPS TO FOLLOW PRIOR TO DEPARTURE While this list is nt cmprehensive, please nte the fllwing specific details that yu shuld research prir t departure: 1. Physical address and telephne number and f the U.S. Embassy r Cnsulate nearest the prgram site. 2. Name, address, and telephne number f an English-speaking physician and mental health prvider at r near the prgram site. This infrmatin can be btained frm the HTH insurance website, r the U.S. Embassy r Cnsulate. 3. Name, address, and telephne number f nearest large hspital that prvides urgent/emergency care. 4. Name, address, and telephne number f lcal plice. 5. Directins fr direct and peratr-assisted dialing t the U.S. frm site, including internatinal dialing cdes cdes and acceptability f cins/telephne cards/calling cards. 6. List f nearest airprts and train statins t the prgram site, in case flights are diverted r a quick change f plans are necessary. 7. Review the health histry f each participant, nting any medicatins r cnditins that may need additinal fllw up with Student Health Services r the Cunseling Center Review f Faculty Directr Safety Plicies and Prcedures T prepare fr the safety aspect f the rle as a faculty directr and t prepare fr the safety f yur students, the Study Abrad Office expects all faculty directrs t read the Faculty Directr Handbk, paying special attentin t the Emergency Respnse sectin. While the fllwing is nt a cmprehensive list f the imprtant plicies utlined in the handbk, we ask that yu review the list f plicies that faculty directrs are required t fllw t ensure student safety: Read the Emergency Respnse sectin f the On-Site Faculty Directr Handbk. Prepare and submit the cmprehensive safety assessment t the SAO at least tw week befre departure, addressing any new cncerns fr yur prgram. Prvide participants with site-specific infrmatin abut ptential health and safety dangers, preferably in writing. Register all prgram students and staff via the Smart Traveler Enrllment Prgram (STEP). Knw hw t cmmunicate with and access ther resurces during a crisis. These include: Airprt authrities Travel agents Other transprtatin authrities (lcal train statin, bus terminal, etc.) Telephne and ther utility cmpanies Hspitals, clinics, and a cmprehensive list f health and cunseling prfessinals Internatinal Red Crss ffices UN Offices U.S. Embassy/Cnsulate and pertinent embassies/cnsulates fr all students n the prgram

5 British and Canadian Embassies/cnsulates in case the U.S. is unavailable Other U.S. Study Abrad Prgrams/Organizatins Vlunteer agencies HTH Wrldwide insurance prvider fr UNC system Study Abrad Emergency Respnse Team (SAERT) via NC State Plice department Lcal gvernment fficials and ministries Lcal plice and fire departments Other lcal universities/clleges Prvide participants with in-cuntry emergency cntact infrmatin (names and telephne numbers f medical emergency fficials, law enfrcement fficials, US Embassy/cnsulate). Develp a rapid cmmunicatin system t reach students nce n-site ( , cell phnes, etc.). Establish a phne tree. Develp a cntingency plan in the event that students cannt be reached r are traveling. Chse a travel agent at yur verseas site that culd ptentially help yu make travel arrangements in an emergency. If hiring a bus r cntracting with a lcal travel agency, be infrmed abut their insurance cverage. Ideally and whenever pssible, this infrmatin shuld be btained in advance, s the Office f Insurance and Risk Management can review it. Prvide the SAO with an itinerary and telephne numbers fr each accmmdatin site in the final itinerary. Prepare a cntingency plan that addresses prcedures in case f absence r incapacity f the faculty directr. Any assistant directr r lcal crdinatr shuld infrm the SAO befre making decisins n emergency matters, if pssible. Keep cpies f students Emergency Cntact frms and Health Histry frms with yu n-site. They are als available 24/7 via the applicatin system. Have multiple methds f accessing funds (credit card, ATM, travelers checks, wire transfer, etc.). Research these in advance. Fr example, find ut whether an in-cuntry bank has a direct relatinship with a U.S. bank, as this wuld facilitate wire transfers. Becme familiar with the student health insurance plicy thrugh HTH. Knw hw t access medical assistance r evacuatin, hw t file claims, and which cnditins are excluded. Print a cpy f lcal HTH dctrs prir t departure and keep it with yu. These dctrs knw the HTH system and all speak English. This list can be printed frm the HTH website r the SAO can prvide yu a print ut. Be familiar with the extensive persnal liability insurance prvided by the University t its emplyees. ON SITE Remain in cntact with the Study Abrad Office thrughut the prgram. Reprt any incidents via the nline Study Abrad Incident Reprt frm. This includes student behavir/cnduct cncerns, NC State Cde f Cnduct vilatins, student health-related incidents, as well as any crimes. Reprt any verbal/ther abuse f a racist/anti-u.s. nature t the lcal plice. Reprt any attacks r ther ffences invlving ur students t the plice.