Health and Safety

Dear Business School staff,

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated their advice on travel to and from China:

• Advise against all travel to Hubei Province
• Advise against all but essential travel to mainland China (not including Hong Kong and Macao)

Following on from this the University has updated its guidance and current advice. This includes informing colleagues and postgraduate students to return to the UK from mainland China unless travel is essential and agreed with their Faculty PVC. This process is identified in the University Health and Safety Management Standard for Travel Abroad.

ACTIONS

• Any staff or students who are currently in China (who are not Chinese nationals) need in the first instance to register their details with their country’s embassy.
• In addition to this we would request that any staff currently in China contact their subject group head or PS lead and the University’s International Office who will provide further advice and assistance.
• Where people still intend to travel or wish to stay in mainland China for University business purposes, Faculty PVCs must either agree or reject this following consultation with the Occupational Health and Safety Service and Insurance.   If travellers are Chinese Nationals they will be supported by the University in returning to the UK should they wish to and are able. If they stay they should be informed not to carry out University Business and that their University insurance may not be valid.  Please forward any request for travel to your subject group head.

If you expect to receive any visitors from China between now and the end of February, please contact the International Office (io.administration@newcastle.ac.uk) to discuss plans. Controls for the UK remain the same and information is provided in the updated University guidance and advice.

The International Office is in close communication with undergraduate students in China and other Asian countries on International Exchange.