Health & Safety Accreditation System Launched

Two leading accommodation booking companies in the UK -with about 5,000 properties represented- are first to sign up to a new holiday accommodation safety scheme, according to recent on-line press reports. The Travelsafe health and safety accreditation system will mean hotels, apartments and villas face blacklisting if they fail to pass a new standards.

The two companies presently committed to the scheme will require the properties they represent to complete the assessment of their safety precautions.

The Travelsafe system, which has taken more than three years to perfect, gathers information, either online or by visiting experienced health and safety professionals, about safety standards in such areas as fire, food hygiene, and swimming pools.

There is also a special section dealing with child safety. Hotels are rated gold, silver, bronze or non compliant and the information can then be shared between hotels, tour operators and travel agents.

If the hotels’ rating is poor or they do not comply, they will be assisted in implementing the necessary improvements. If these hotels cannot be or refuse to be made safe they will be blacklisted and banned from all Travelsafe member sites.

Travelsafe’s chief executive, David Perl, claimed that the system provided a cost-effective and efficient way of helping the travel industry ensure the safety of their customers.

“The Corfu tragedy (the deaths of two young children from carbon monoxide poisoning last September) has highlighted once again that holidaymakers do face unknown health and safety dangers when they travel abroad,” he said.