APIL: Think about safety as well as sunshine when working abroad.

Tuesday, 21, Aug 2007 12:00

As constant sunshine and a laid back lifestyle tempt a record number of Britons to work and live abroad, a leading lawyers group has issued a safety warning to those thinking of venturing to pastures new.

Denise Kitchener, spokeswoman for a national SafetyWatch campaign run by APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) has urged people to plan carefully and not leave their commonsense behind when heading off to work in sunnier climates.

“Working abroad can obviously be a fantastic experience, but it is imperative that people plan properly and take some basic precautions,” she says. “Every five seconds a worker in Europe is involved in a work-related accident – this should be a warning to anyone venturing abroad to take simple precautions and use their commonsense.”

While taking out an insurance policy is a must for all travellers, it is imperative that those planning to work abroad take out a policy which actually covers them for working, as many are designed purely for holidays. APIL member Nolan Mortimer, a personal injury lawyer who deals solely with cases in which people have been injured abroad, says many people forget basic safety measures and tend to throw caution to the wind.

“It’s obviously important that holidaymakers use their commonsense and stay safe, but people who are jetting off to actually work abroad should really plan very carefully and take extra care,” he warns. “People do have a tendency to forget that being in a sunnier, more relaxed environment doesn’t mean the same dangers aren’t out there.”

Nolan advises people to consider the following basic steps:

· Make sure you get insurance and that it covers you for working abroad as many policies are designed purely for holiday situations

· Ensure you let someone in the UK know where you will be living andworking, and let them know how to get hold of you in an emergency

· Make sure that you always let someone else locally know where you are going and what you are doing if it is outside of your usual routine

· Don’t be pressurised into doing something that you would not do at home, just because you are abroad

· Be aware that local rules and regulations may be less stringent than in the UK, so ensure your own safety at all times

-ends-

Note to editors:

APIL was set up in 1990 by a group of lawyers who wanted to provide a voice for

injured people, and is now a recognised voice within Government and other

organisations. APIL's SafetyWatch campaign aims to highlight potential hazards

to people in order to prevent injury. Visit www.apil.com

- Research by the institute (IPPR) is the first significant attempt to put a figure on

the number of British citizens who live and work overseas.

http://www.ippr.org.uk/

- Statistics relating to health and safety at work abroad were compiled by the

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

http://osha.europa.eu/OSHA/

For more information, contact Lisa Wardle, t: 0115 9388715, or Andrew

Brentnall, t: 0115 9388702