(Source: Daily Mail)

Have you got your holiday booked yet for this year? According to a survey by the Department of Work and Pensions this week, a week-long family holiday is now considered a luxury rather than a necessary part of family life.  The report suggests that day trips and long weekends suffice as vital time off.

Obviously, when compared with other necessities, a holiday may fall down the pecking order especially after the recent recession. But, I believe it is important to find time for a break, whether it be for a couple of days or a week. After working hard throughout the year, I always look forward to some well earned rest and relaxation. Holidays abroad also allow you and your family to engage with new cultures and try things that you wouldn’t normally have the chance to at home.

It may not be “vital” to my existence, but holidays are definitely an annual highlight for me.

(Source: dreamstreetmarketingblog.com)

Check Safety First has been trying to educate people on the importance of holiday health and safety for over 20 years, but it doesn’t appear to be sinking in. According to research by Bupa Travel, the biggest holiday worry for people is losing their luggage. Contracting an illness only came fourth:

1. Your airline losing your luggage

2. Losing your wallet or purse

3. Being robbed

4. Becoming ill

5. Poor hotels

6. Terrorist attacks

7. Getting injured

8. Having to be treated at a foreign hospital

9. Bad weather

10. Not being able to speak the local language

I can’t believe that people value their possessions over their own wellbeing. The fact is that people are more likely to become ill or pick up an injury on holiday than they are to lose a suitcase, wallet or purse. Contracting food poisoning can ruin the whole holiday, whereas losing a bag can only spoil a couple of days.

People have to be more aware of the potential problems that can arise on holiday, such as food poisoning. Given the choice, I’d take losing my luggage over getting ill and having my holiday spoilt any day.

Source: The Sun

Oscar fever has swept the Check Safety First team and everyone is discussing their favourite films. My personal favourite is Withnail and I, a film that never fails to make me laugh with their revolting dwellings reminding me of my life as a student.

Browsing through The Sun travel pages, I found a list of top holiday suggestions inspired by this year’s Best Picture nominations which movie lovers may want to check out – I have included some interesting facts about each location:

- New Zealand was the location for James Cameron’s sci-fi hit, Avatar: It is also the location for other blockbuster movies, such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong.

- The Elbe Sandstone Mountains where Inglorious Basterds was filmed: Follow in Brad Pitt’s footsteps along hiking routes that wind though the German forestry.

- Venezuela from the Disney Pixar film, Up: One of the only countries where you can find snow-capped peaks, Amazonian jungle and stretches of sandy beaches.

- South Africa, the setting for District 9: The World Cup 2010 is the biggest event in South Africa this year, but Johannesburg was also the destination for this sci-fi hit movie.

- Oxford was the location for much of the film, An Education: Not only the setting for Lynne Barber’s autobiographical tale, but also the home to over 20,000 students.

- Las Vegas was a glitzy location for George Clooney’s film, Up in the Air: The gambling capital of the world, where one Las Vegas gambler is rumoured to have lost $127 million in one year.

- Jordan, where war epic, The Hurt Locker was filmed: The capital, Amman, features bustling markets selling everything from traditional carpets to smoky spices.

- Atlanta was the base for The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock: It is also the birthplace of Martin Luther King and the home of Coca-Cola.

- Minneapolis, the setting for The Serious Man: The American Mid-West is home to 10,000 beautiful lakes and spectacular scenery.

(Source: http://images.easyart.com)

Most of the talk today in Check Safety First HQ is around Valentine’s Day. Women speculating over what romantic act their other half is planning or how many cards they will receive, and men, including myself, wondering what all the fuss is about – there’s another three days to get something arranged and the local garage is open on Sunday, right?

I have to admit I am suffering from Valentine overload, which isn’t helped with all the newspapers being filled with gift guides on the perfect present to buy your loved one. So you can imagine my shock, and partial delight, when I found an article in The Independent which offered an alternative take on relationships: the top ten reasons for getting dumped when on holiday

1. Ogling other people at the beach
2. Inappropriate holiday wear
3. Being tight with money
4. Getting too drunk
5. Being rude towards other holidaymakers
6. Not wanting to do anything and staying in the holiday complex the whole time
7. Not sampling the local delicacies
8. Moaning about being too hot
9. Being rude to staff and local people
10. Going out on excursions alone, without your partner

It would seem this happens more often than you might think. Apparently 25 per cent of couples break up on or after their first holiday together. So, it’s definitely worth thinking long and hard about where you are going and what you plan to do when you go on holiday with your partner, if you value your relationship.

Having just read this entry back, it has occurred to me that I may come across as if I am completely against romance and Valentine’s Day. This is not the case – I have a wife who I love dearly and will no doubt spoil rotten on Sunday – but, why do we need a day to tell the one we love how much we care?

Source: www.yourtravelrights.co.uk

More of us now prefer to have some ‘me time’ on holiday and are opting to travel alone on a soliday.  Personally, I prefer the company of my family and friends on holiday, but understand the lure of meeting new people and exploring places as a lone traveller.

For those of you embarking on a solo voyage we would recommend you take a look at the solo traveller blog, which gives lots of hints and tips on the best places to go and how to meet new people.  But we thought we’d also give travellers a few tips on how to stay safe whilst travelling alone:

1. Don’t get swept away by the experience and forget common sense.  Always stick to eating thoroughly-cooked foods, avoid salads and drink bottled water.  Holidaying on your own will seem very lonely if you’re taken ill with food poisoning.
2. Eat out in lively cafes, where you don’t stick out as a solo traveller.
3. Avoid looking like a tourist – don’t go everywhere with a map or have wads of cash in your wallet, otherwise you’ll become a crime magnet.
4. Try to stick closely with other travellers, but be careful who you trust.  Many will give you recommendations of safe places to eat, sleep and visit in the area.
5. Finally, set up a blog where you account your experiences once a week.  This will give your family back home peace of mind that you are safe and well.

So, how about you – have you considered completely getting away from it all on your own?  If so, where would you recommend?

With the holiday season fast approaching, Check Safety First has compiled a list of the top 10 causes of ill health and injury on holiday. This list is not designed to scare you or put you off going on holiday, that’s if the swine flu outbreak hasn’t already done so. It is instead, intended to increase your awareness of health and safety while on your annual break, to ensure that you have the best possible time:

1. Food poisoning, 75 per cent of holiday illnesses are food related from undercooked food or unhygienic preparation areas.

2. Bacterial infections as a result of consuming water or ice that has not been purified.

3. Alcohol is a major contributing factor of physical injuries and also dehydration.

4. Dehydration, sunstroke and burns from excessive exposure to the sun.

5. Slips, trips and falls on obstructed or unmarked slippery surfaces.

6. Water-borne infections, such as Cryptosporidium, from incorrectly managed swimming pools.

7. Head injuries from diving into unmarked shallow water are not uncommon.

8. Viral infections that are endemic amongst the local population.

9. Legionnaires disease from badly maintained water systems.

10. Traffic-related injuries as a result of holidaymakers not paying enough attention to local roads.

We, at Check Safety First, are pleased to announce that we have partnered with the British Embassy in Tunisia to protect British holidaymakers visiting the area from the threat of salmonella.

Each year 40,000 British holidaymakers travel to Tunisia for their annual getaway, but only a handful of these consider the health and safety standards of the resorts they are staying in. So, we have teamed up with The British Embassy in Tunisia to help provide English tourists with a safer environment to holiday in.

It is essential that holidaymakers push hygiene further up their wishlist of requirements when choosing a holiday venue. You wouldn’t get your boiler fixed by an engineer that wasn’t CORGI registered, so why stay in a hotel that can’t demonstrate its commitment to keeping you safe while you are on holiday?

By working together, the Embassy will be able to provide holidaymakers with advice on how to stay safe when travelling in Tunisia, and recommend hotels within the region that have achieved exceptional levels of hygiene. This will help ensure that everyone comes away from the country having enjoyed their well earned vacation.

26 September 2008

Back in April, hurricane forecasters warned us that this season would be “well above average”, with at least 15 storms hitting by November compared to the typical 11 – and at the current rate they won’t be wrong!

So after the devastation that hurricanes Ike, Hannah and Gustav have caused recently, Check Safety First has put together some basic guidance for people traveling to the areas that are likely to be affected:

When booking your holiday… Ask your travel agent or the hotel directly if they have safety procedures in place to protect guests when natural disasters occur. Hotels and travel operators may have emergency plans in place to help ensure guest safety and may be able to provide you with valuable advice on what to do and look out for, if a hurricane occurs.

Check the weather forecast… Check a reliable source, such as online local weather reports, www.CNN.com, and other resources like www.wikipedia.com, to determine exactly when the hurricane season starts and ends for your chosen destination.  It may be stating the obvious but if you are in any way concerned that your chosen resort doesn’t have an adequate hurricane plan you may want to find one that does, or it may disrupt your holiday.

Do not get left behind… It is highly likely that, in the event a hurricane warning, evacuations will be ordered by the local authorities. This can happen up to 72 hours before the hurricane hits, so it is essential that the hotel management knows where you are and how you can be contacted should an evacuation need to take place.  It makes sense to ask the hotel management or your holiday rep where the designated meeting points are and what method of communication the hotel takes to inform its guests of important information.

Stay safe… It is always advisable to ask the hotel management whether the building is designed to withstand the forces generated by a hurricane and to identify the safe areas in which guests will be asked to stay should an evacuation be unfeasible. When sheltering from the storm in the hotel avoid the perceived weak points, such as exposed glazing or low lying areas prone to flooding.

Avoid the aftermath… It goes without saying that the damage caused by a hurricane can have a major impact on the safety of hotels, resorts and their infrastructure.  If you are planning a holiday in an area that has recently suffered a storm, you should always check their present situation prior to your departure to enable you to adequately prepare.

24 September 2008

Due to the rise in low cost flights and do-it-yourself holiday websites, private villas have become a popular choice for holidaymakers. To help travellers protect themselves from potential dangers of staying in rented accommodation, we have produced a free, straightforward guide to help holidaymakers identify basic health and safety hazards.

‘Ten top tips to staying safe in private holiday homes and villas’, contains details and advice for holidaymakers on some of the basic health and safety considerations that ANY villa or apartment should have in place to protect its guests.  Topics covered in the guide include accommodation quality, swimming pool safety, hygiene and cleanliness, and spotting fire hazards.  The guide is designed to make people more conscious of health and safety issues and to help them avoid potential risks during their time away.

Each year, millions of Brits suffer illness or injury on their summer holiday. For some, it’s just the combination of too much sun, sand and sangria, but for many holidaymakers the problem needn’t have happened. We hope that our guide will be a useful resource for travellers that helps them avoid the health and safety problems that can ruin a family break.