Fieldwork Procedure (OB-HAS-PROC-18.00)

1.1 This document sets out the process for considering the health and safety hazards associated with organising and managing fieldwork.

2.1 This procedure provides the requirements for Pro-Vice-Chancellor Deans, Heads of Schools, Supervisors and Managers who are responsible for the H&S of staff, students and other participants in fieldwork. Fieldwork must be properly managed so that the University can demonstrate that it has done all that is reasonably practicable to minimise risks to health and safety and to reduce the likelihood and the consequences of reasonably foreseeable accidents/incidents during fieldwork.

2.2 Even in work environments under the control of third parties, the University retains responsibility for the safety of its staff and/or students and others exposed to their activities.

2.3 This procedure does not cover leisure activities undertaken by OBU affiliated student sports and social clubs. However, the best practice principles of organisation, risk assessment, planning, communications, emergency procedures etc. will be relevant to many of these activities.

2.4 NOTE: This guide EXCLUDES the overseas travel aspects of such work – guidance on overseas travel is given in H&S of Overseas Travel Procedure, which should be read in conjunction with this procedure.

3.1 Fieldwork: Work carried out by staff or students of the University for the purposes of teaching, research or study that involves either practical work or organised group activity, visits by individuals (as detailed below) off campus, in the UK or overseas.

This definition will therefore include activities as diverse as undertaking social science interviews, as well as activities more traditionally associated with the term fieldwork such as survey/collection work. It is recognised that much of the fieldwork defined above is carried out by individuals travelling and working alone.

Fieldwork includes, for example:

• Practical work off campus e.g. geological or biological survey/collection work, archaeological digs, hydrological/edaphic/ecological/social survey and data collection
• Visits by groups of students and individuals (staff and students) e.g. to farms, industrial plants, construction sites, manufacturing businesses where the visit involves more than an office-based meeting
• Social science interviews with members of the public
• Individuals or groups undertaking hazardous activities e.g. mountain exploration, caving, work in a remote area

3.2 The person with delegated operational responsibility for all aspects of the fieldwork. This may be the individual fieldworker or the supervisor of the fieldwork project (in the case of students).

3.3 The person undertaking the fieldwork that may be an individual or member of a group.

4.1 Pro-Vice-Chancellor Deans are responsible for ensuring:

• Appropriate processes are in place for only authorised and competent Fieldwork Leaders and individual fieldworkers to plan their own fieldwork
• There is an appropriate process in place for travel requests to be appropriately authorised and this is communicated to staff
• Staff are aware that all fieldwork that is considered to be ‘high risk’ is referred to them for review and approval.

4.2 Line Managers / Supervisors are responsible for ensuring the safety of fieldwork undertaken by staff/students within their School:

• Is appropriately risk-assessed by the Fieldwork Leader and gives provisional approval subject to Faculty processes
• The degree of planning and organisation required is consistent with the degree of risk, so that risks are reduced to as low a level as reasonably practicable
• Appropriate safe systems of work are in place
• Fieldwork that is assessed to be ‘high risk’ must be referred to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dean prior to the fieldwork taking place
• Provide monitoring arrangements (including communication) as identified in the risk assessment whilst the fieldwork is being undertaken
• Fieldwork Leaders and individual fieldworkers who plan their own fieldwork are, competent and are able to assess the dynamic risk of the activity and have the decision-making capability of dealing with possible adverse or emergency conditions

4.3 Fieldwork Leaders are responsible for:

• Undertaking a task-based risk assessment based on the activity and the participants in order to identify and put in place practical control measures
• Planning, organising and managing the fieldwork with respect to students, staff and others, which appropriately covers:
  • Consulting and involving participants in the decision-making process of the visit so that participants are aware of all risks
  • Travel to and from locations
  • Supervision, behaviour and discipline whilst on site
  • Contingency and plans
  • Communication with Line manager at Oxford Brookes University
  • Personal safety
  • Accommodation
  • Health and food safety
  • Insurance
  • Vetting of third party providers/partners where site visits are arranged
  • Briefing participants, preferably in writing, on the plans for the trip, objectives, emergency arrangements, local rules and codes of conduct, health and safety risks
  • Accident/incident reporting procedures
  • Reviewing the fieldwork trip, seeking feedback from participants and taking into account these outcomes in subsequent fieldwork RAs

4.4 All fieldwork participants are responsible for:

All participants (staff, students and any guests e.g. from another institution) must comply with the safety precautions and instructions put in place by the Fieldwork Leader and with the general good practice guidance given in this procedure. This may include:

• Providing essential personal and contact information.
• Complying with medical or health requirements e.g. vaccinations
• Informing the Fieldwork Leader of any disabilities or health issues, which may require adjustment or support whilst on fieldwork. If a student participant is not comfortable discussing this with the Fieldwork Leader, they can discuss this with the University’s Inclusive Support Team.
• Keeping in contact with the University to confirm that they are safe and well
• Complying with and Safe Operating Procedures/Codes of Conduct or similar which the individual Faculty/School requires (NB this may be covered by generic School/University procedures)
• Bringing problems to the attention of the Fieldwork Leader or their Academic Supervisor

Assessment and approval

5.1 For fieldwork involving overseas travel, refer to the OBU H&S of Overseas Travel Procedure.

5.2 The Generic Fieldwork Risk Assessment Form {include link in final version} is designed to assess all types of fieldwork. The associated guide ‘Step by Step Guide to Fieldwork Risk Assessment’ {include link in final version}.

5.3 Fieldwork Leaders may receive H&S information from third parties as part of the planning process. This information can be used to inform the risk assessment process but shouldn’t be seen as confirmation or otherwise that the arrangements should not proceed.

5.4 The detail of the assessment should be proportionate to the level of hazard associated with the fieldwork. Some routine fieldwork may be low risk, but nevertheless will still require careful planning.

5.5 Where the fieldwork occurs on an ongoing, repeated basis and has an existing risk assessment in place, there is no requirement to undertake a new assessment. However, the existing assessment must be reviewed prior to fieldwork taking place to confirm any mitigations remain appropriate.

5.6 Where the fieldwork is a new activity e.g. this is the first visit to an unknown location; the risk level may increase.

5.7 All fieldwork must be assessed for reasonably foreseeable risks associated with the fieldwork and tasks involved. The Generic Fieldwork Risk Assessment template has been developed to provide Fieldwork Leaders with a framework to assess the range of fieldwork activities. It is important to note that not all issues will be relevant to all types of fieldwork, nor should the template be considered exhaustive.

5.8 Further guidance on what needs to be considered as part of the risk assessment is provided in the ‘Step by Step Guide to Fieldwork Risk Assessment’.

Approval levels

5.9 All assessments must be provisionally approved by the line manager of the person conducting the assessment (fieldwork leader) and follow any local approval requirements within the Faculty. Assessments that are considered high risk must be referred to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dean for approval. Advice can be sought from the Health and Safety team.

Dynamic risk assessments

5.10 Dynamic risk assessments i.e. on-going situation awareness and assessment may be required during some fieldwork to allow flexibility. However, this should not replace appropriate contingency planning, and completely new activities should not be introduced without consultation with the person who gave the original approval.

6.1 Fieldwork Leaders, fieldworkers and others working off-site should have sufficient skills, knowledge, experience and where required, appropriate qualifications to plan and undertake the fieldwork activity.

6.2 Specialist training may be required for some fieldwork. Examples include leadership, first-aid training, survival e.g. for extreme environments mountain leadership, wilderness medical training, navigation techniques, 4-wheel driving training, sub-aqua diving, rope access and abseiling, cultural awareness and/or security threat assessment.

6.3 Managers must ensure the competency of the fieldwork leaders before the fieldwork activity is planned.

6.4 Managers must review training needs for fieldworkers regularly. This should be done to ensure that training certificates are up-to-date and to identify where refresher training is needed or additional training required. This can also be achieved as part of the staff development review process.

7.1 This procedure will be reviewed every three years or sooner if changes are required.

8.1 Generic Fieldwork Risk Assessment Form (to follow)

8.2 Step by step guide to fieldwork risk assessment

8.3 Universities Safety and Health Association (USHA) – Fieldwork Guidance

Country Specific:

8.4 Foreign and Commonwealth Office

8.5 Lonely Planet

Health

8.6 Fit for Travel

8.5 Travel Vaccinations

General Travel Safety

8.6 Maiden Voyage

8.7 FCO Safety Advice for Women

8.8 FCO LGBT Advice

8.9 Travel advice for female students

8.10 IGLTA

8.11 Culture Shock