4. While Travelling

Emergency assistance

Fed Uni travellers have access to a 24/7 emergency and non-emergency assistance service from Healix, an international travel risk management provider.

Healix are available to all Fed Uni employees undertaking university-sanctioned international travel. The Healix service is designed to safeguard travellers health and wellbeing before and throughout travel, offering extensive medical and security support from pre-travel advice and real-time alerts to in-country assistance via the Healix Travel Oracle website and app.

Before travel, travellers should download the Healix Travel Oracle app, register themselves, and save the Healix Helpline number to their phone contacts.

In case of serious incidents such as natural disasters, significant medical crises or regional security threats, Healix crisis response teams are also ready to facilitate evacuations or repatriations.

The Mayday feature on the Travel Oracle app can be used when a traveller is feeling unsafe. The Healix Security Team will be on hand to provide immediate assistance.

Important - In the event of an emergency:

  1. Contact the relevant local emergency service.
  2. Contact Healix.

How to contact Healix:

24/7 Helpline: +61250057699*

* This is a dedicated number for Federation University travellers.

Email: FUA@healix.com

Policy Number: FUA221193

Fed Uni strongly advises travellers keep the Healix phone number and the Fed Uni membership number at all times.

How to contact FCM:

FCM can be contacted 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

Australian Office Hours: Monday to Friday 0800 – 1800 AEST

  • Phone: +61 3 9192 7666

Email: feduni@fcmtravel.com

Email: Extended.hours@fcmtravel.com

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) provides assistance to Australians who find themselves in trouble overseas, however there are legal and practical limits to what can be done. Refer to the Smartraveller website for details.

The 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra can be contacted for assistance from anywhere in the world:

Within Australia: 1300 555 135
Outside Australia: +61 2 6261 3305
For SMS: +61 421 269 080

If possible, travellers should also contact  their supervisor to advise of location and if further assistance is required.

Before and during the trip

Whether concerns are minor or more serious, the initial point of contact should always be the Healix Helpline (contact information above).

For medical concerns, the Healix Operations Team will provide advice and assistance and, when appropriate, help locate approved clinics or hospitals or even arrange for a doctor to visit travellers. Healix can also provide support and facilitate replacing prescriptions or medications as needed.

For travel concerns, the Healix Team can assist with issues such as lost or stolen documents, money, or baggage, as well as access to legal assistance.

If a traveller has any security-related concerns, the Healix Security Team is on standby to offer guidance, advice and assistance services e.g. evacuations.

Healix FAQs

What if a traveller needs medical/security advice or assistance?

Travellers can call the dedicated Healix Helpline if they have any concerns or need assistance. The team will work to understand what assistance is required provide appropriate expert advice.

What will happen in an emergency?

Emergency response teams are on standby to assist. Crisis management specialists will coordinate all necessary resources to ensure protection in a volatile medical or security situation or scene of natural disaster.

Note: Always call the local police/ambulance/fire service in the first instance if that would be the appropriate response. Then call Healix next. (local emergency numbers can be found in the country profile for location in the Healix Travel Oracle App).

What are other reasons travellers could call the Healix Helpline?

  • Pre-trip medical/security advice including if there are any concerns about personal health or profile.
  • Outpatient referral.
  • Lost visa/passport.
  • Stolen wallet.
  • Vaccination requirements.
  • Prescription replacement/refill.
  • Medical emergency.
  • Lost contact/missing employee.
  • Detention by authorities.
  • Civil unrest/violent protest or disorder.
  • Natural disaster/ severe weather events.

What will travellers be asked when they call into the Healix Helpline?

Travellers will be asked some initial questions to determine what the situation so Healix can determine which team member is best placed to assist e.g. medical, travel and/or security. This will include determining location and the nature of the call.

Travellers will be asked for their name (or the name of the affected employee if someone is calling on their behalf.) Some other basic personal information will also be recorded, including confirming  contact information (so Healix can call or email back in case contact is lost).

Travellers may be asked for consent to share medical information with Federation University. As an independent third party with strict privacy obligations, Healix can discuss concerns and provide professional advice. Any questions regarding medical advice received will not be shared with Fed Uni unless explicit consent is provided In the event travellers decline consent, Healix will only provide very limited, non-medical information to Fed Uni.

Travel insurance

Fed Uni has comprehensive business travel insurance for authorised business travellers. The policy covers Fed Uni employees, students and consultants, including their accompanying spouse/partner and dependent child/ren. No additional travel insurance is required when travelling for Fed Uni business.

Should incidental private travel be taken either side of, or during, an authorised business trip, it must not exceed more than 60% in its entirety unless authorised by Chubb, and FedUni travellers should arrange extra insurance cover at their own expense.

Contact

Chubb Insurance Limited
Policy number: 03PP007156

Emergency assistance number: +61 2 8907 5995

Chubb Assistance reverse charge call number: +61 2 9211 3000

Or

Log a Finance Service Now request.

Staying in contact

In addition to keeping in contact with family and friends, travellers should agree on an appropriate communication arrangement with their Supervisor whilst travelling. Prior to departure, travellers must provide contact details while travelling to their Supervisor.

If travelling to a remote or high risk location, travellers may be required to make contact with the University at regular intervals to advise of location.

When the travel booking is made through FCM, a copy of the itinerary is created in a Healix portal called Sentinel. This portal allows both the University and Healix to know where travellers are during their travels, thus also ensuring Fed Uni is fulfilling its duty of care obligations.

To ensure this information remains current and accurate, any changes to an itinerary should be transacted through FCM to ensure updates are fed through to Healix.

For travel booked outside of FCM:

  1. Travellers need to email their itinerary to: financehub@federation.edu.au asking that the itinerary be added to Healix Sentinel.
  2. Itineraries in Sentinel allow Healix to verify locations.
  3. A traveller doesn’t have to be in Sentinel in order to be covered by Healix and/or Chubb.

Healix provide assistance to all Fed Uni travellers on University sanctioned travel. Healix will be able to provide pre-trip advisories and alerts and allows Healix to verify travellers location.

Healix will verify with Chubb insurance that a traveller is covered by Fed Uni’s insurance before any costs are incurred.

Itinerary changes whilst travelling

Where possible, any changes to an itinerary should be coordinated through the FCM. Itinerary changes booked via FCM will automatically update to Healix. Travellers should advise their Supervisor of any changes to the itinerary.

If changes to the itinerary are made whilst travelling, and not via FCM, these changes must be added to Healix sentinel. Travellers will need to advise financehub@federation.edu.au of the changes and ask that the changed itinerary be added to Sentinel.

If changes are made to the destinations travelled to, including adding new destinations, a new PTAto seek approval for the new destinations is required.

Tracking

The Healix Travel Oracle app allows travellers to turn on a tracking feature. When this is enabled, GPS coordinates will be sent to the Healix Sentinel Portal and allow Healix to send alerts and provide assistance based on actual location (rather than theoretical location from the itinerary). The University Strongly recommends tracking is turned on while travelling.

Record keeping

Whilst travelling, it is important to keep records that may be necessary upon return. Records maintained include:

  • Supporting documentation required to reconcile expenses or seek reimbursement.
  • Record business activities (in Outlook calendar for example) to substantiate any travel diary requirements on return.
  • Keep necessary documentation to support any insurance claims.

Travel alerts

Travel alerts from Healix provide news about incidents and emergencies as they happen around the world.  These range in severity from Level 1 to Level 4 alerts:

Level 1 - Informational-based updates which pose minimal security risks, but could have a disruptive impact on employees.

  • Examples: Political rhetoric; Resumption of travel notifications; Embassy notifications; Foiled terrorist plots and/or militant arrests; Historical incidents

Level 2 - Events which pose no significant or imminent risk to employees, but either illustrate a security risk factor or pose a risk of severe disruption.

  • Examples: Curfews; Crime trend updates; Low-level and contained civil unrest.

Level 3 - Security incidents that are broadly consistent with the risk environment and/or pose only incidental or localised risks to employees.

  • Examples: Low-level/unsophisticated terrorist attacks that have resulted in, or are likely to result in, low casualty numbers; Severe weather; Localised violent unrest

Level 4 - Exceptional security incidents that are typically inconsistent with the risk environment and/or pose a critical risk to employees.

  • Examples: Large-scale/on-going terrorist attacks that have resulted in, or are likely to result in, large casualty numbers; Major natural disasters;  Military coups; Uncontained and widespread violent unrest

Travellers should keep informed regularly prior to travel and while travelling by regularly checking the Healix Travel Oracle App.

Pre Trip Advisories

For travel bookings made through FCM, the itinerary is fed through to Healix. , travellers will receive a Pre-Trip Advisory for each country listed in the booking. The Pre-Trip Advisory will provide helpful information about the security and medical risks of the destination as well as important travel information, recommended vaccinations, and other helpful tips.