Health & Safety Evaluation Demonstrates Polar Operator's Commitment to Responsible Expedition Travel

(TRAVPR.COM) USA - February 4th, 2013 - [Waterbury, VT] – Quark Expeditions, the leader in polar adventure, has completed a comprehensive operational evaluation process and successfully demonstrated the company’s conformity to the highly respected British Standard BS 8848, which relates to all aspects of the safe and responsible conduct of expeditions and adventurous activities. The evaluation was undertaken by the Young Explorers’ Trust (YET) as an independent third party using qualified assessors.

“The purpose of the assessment is to secure completely independent, knowledgeable, and competent confirmation that Quark Expeditions does, in fact, adhere to the highest health and safety standards in our industry,” stated Hans Lagerweij, president of Quark Expeditions. “What’s more, we are the first and only expedition cruise company with an externally audited and accredited health and safety program.”

The evaluation of BS 8848 by YET was conducted at Quark’s head office over the course of one week in December 2012. A panel of experts from YET audited Quark’s adherence to all of the elements of BS 8848, based on the full range of all component parts of Quark’s operations, including:

• Quark’s passenger pre-booking information
• The competence, experience and training of Quark’s expedition leadership team
• Supervision and staffing ratios for all aspects of Quark’s expeditions
• The standards required of Quark’s third party providers (vessels and ship management, accommodation, transport & activities)
• Quark’s risk assessment, risk management and risk control systems
• Quark’s incident, emergency and contingency planning
• Quark’s insurance and finance arrangements
• Environmental protection and management arrangements for all of Quark’s expeditions

“YET champions and promotes the use of good practice in overseas adventurous activities,” says Dick Griffiths, evaluations coordinator of The Young Explorers’ Trust. “This was our first assessment for a ship-based expedition company operating in the Polar Regions, and their successful accreditation certainly speaks to Quark’s position as the leader in expeditions to these remote regions. We can sincerely conclude that Quark Expeditions has health and safety at its very core.”

For more information about Quark Expeditions’ safety standards and other great reasons to travel with Quark to the Polar Regions, please visit www.QuarkExpeditions.com or call 1.888.892.0073.

About The British Standards Institution (BSI)

BSI is a world ranking global organization that equips businesses with the necessary solutions to turn standards of best practice into habits of excellence. Formed in 1901, BSI was the world’s first National Standards Body and a founding member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).  The British Standards Institution is recognized by the UK Government as the National Standards Body that establishes standards for a range of products and services. BS 8848 is one of these standards.

About BS 8848

BS 8848 refers to the British Standard Quark was measured against. Established in 2007 by the British Standard Institution, BS 8848 was named after the height (in meters) of Mount Everest. Its objective is to standardize and set out transparently the requirements for the organization and management of visits, fieldwork, expeditions, safety and adventurous activities outside the United Kingdom. This allows such activities to be objectively verified for compliance.

About Young Explorers’ Trust (YET)

Young Explorers’ Trust (YET), after more than thirty years experience, inter alia, in mentoring and assessing organisations planning expeditions overseas elected, with the publication of BS 8848, to align this aspect of its work to the standard and to incorporate in its procedures internationally recognised requirements for an organisation wishing to assess British Standard other party conformity by providers of ventures.

About Quark Expeditions

For over 20 years, Quark Expeditions has been the leading provider of polar adventure travel. With its diverse fleet of specially equipped vessels and seasoned expedition leaders, the company offers travelers unparalleled access to the most remote regions on earth. In 2011,Quark was named a recipient of National Geographic Traveler’s “50 Tours of a Lifetime” for their “Three Arctic Islands” voyage.

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