Risk and safety assessment form at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Formulär: V #0002

  • Risk and safety assessment for fieldwork and excursions

    Background

    In accordance with the Work Environment Act and specific regulations, an employer or training provider must carry out a risk assessment for activities that may involve serious risks. Fieldwork and excursions may include such activities, and therefore a risk assessment must be carried out and documented in writing.

    This template should be used to identify potential serious risks. The document should be completed by the person responsible for the fieldwork or excursion, in dialog will participants. This should be done well in advance of departure and is used for both staff and students. Contact Peter Kornacher for feedback, before pressing the Send button and handing in the document. The Head of Division or Head of Department must approve the final version of the risk assessment.

    This document applies to fieldwork and excursions and considers the most common risks. Other risks may apply in specific environments (both in Sweden and abroad) and this should be outlined in the text field at the end of the document.

    Pre-excursion: In general, the coordinator should do a pre-visit at the site(s), before filling in this form. The coordinator is responsible for going through the safety precautions with all fieldworkers or excursion participants before departure. 

    Use the form below to fill in the information and tick the boxes (risks) you find relevant for your fieldwork or excursion. Make sure all participants read it in advance. Get it approved before departure. 

    Remember to bring a copy to the field (click the PDF button to get the full form downloaded to your hard drive)! 

  • General safety recommendations

    Avoid risks. Do not expose yourself to unnecessary risks. Don’t overestimate your own or your colleague’s abilities.

    First aid kit. Bring a small first aid kit to carry with you, or one per group.

    Inform your fieldwork coordinator about leaving and returning home.

    Insurance. Make sure you are insured at all times.

    • Registered university students or employees are always insured by the university. (For work outside the EU you must bring the insurance certificate card from Kammarkollegiet. You do not need this within the EU.)

    Mobile phone.

    • Everyone should bring a mobile phone.
    • Field working personnel are encouraged to program ICE – In Case of Emergency – plus phone numbers to the closest relatives. Through this number rescue personnel can, in the event of a serious accident, quickly get in touch with relatives.
    • Exchange telephone numbers in your field group.
    • Maintain regular contact with each other and inform each other of the plans for the day.
    • Keep your telephone charged. Don’t use the last bits of batteries while at work.
    • Bring extra charger and power bank.

    Not allowed. Friends, children, or pets are not allowed to be brought along on fieldwork.

    Safety equipment. Bring safety equipment: mobile phone, sunglasses, sunscreen, sun hats, earmuffs, GPS, gloves, whistle, medication, safety goggles, headlamp, helmet, water bottle etc.

    Visibility. Put papers with LU-logo in the front windows of your cars and use caps or T-shirts with the logo, use high visibility clothes, when possible, in e.g. forest environments.

    Not working alone and informing about your whereabouts. Always keep close contact with the project leader (and for the project leader, with a colleague) when out in the field, and communicate when you leave, which sites you go to, and when you are back in the evening (e.g. through a Whatsapp message group or similar). Working alone should always be avoided.


  • Risk and safety assessment

  • This form is valid for
      • Tecken kvar

      • Potential risks and how to avoid or minimize them - tick the relevant boxes

      • If you injure yourself during working hours, or if an incident occurs, you must report this to your supervisor. For information, see https://www.staff.lu.se/employment/work-environment-and-health/reporting-occupational-injuries-and-incidents. See also “Road safety” below.

      • Anyone who knows that they are allergic or have a disease is responsible for their own medication. Inform the person in charge of the fieldwork/excursion.

      • Cortisone tablets cannot be provided by the employer. Purchase privately – and on prescription. See also “Sting or bites by insects” below.

        • Grazing animals: avoid contact and confrontation. Show safe and respectful behavior towards farm animals. Contact landowner for advice before entering sites with grazing animals. Ask the owner to inform you about any important changes e.g. bulls or other sensitive animals being placed in the pastures mid-season!).
        • Insects – see “Sting or bite by insects” and “TBE” below.
        • Loose dogs: Stand still and avoid eye contact. Walk slowly away from the dog when the dog has calmed down.
        • Snakes: If you get bitten by a snake, always contact healthcare and ask for “giftinformationen” or “poison information” (112 if acute, 010-456 67 00 for advice and information. If abroad make sure to have the country specific information).
        • Wild animals: In Sweden encounters with larger wild animals is rather unlikely during daytime. Wild boars are probably the most dangerous – especially if they have piglets. To avoid close encounters, make noise (loud) to let them know you are around. Talking or singing is a good idea. In other regions, other precautions may apply. If relevant, use the “other risks” section to describe.

        • If you work with chemicals, it is very important that you know the risks and how to handle them.
        • Lab safety course: At least one person in your field group – yourself or a colleague – have to have attended the course “Lab safety”.
        • Coordinators of fieldwork should attend the course in “Risk analysis in connection with the handling of chemicals or during fieldwork”.
        • Attach Safety Data Sheets for each carried chemical to this risk assessment and make sure everyone reads them!
        • Do not handle or work with chemicals alone!
        • Flammable products like ethanol, acetone and petrol must be brought into field with extreme caution. NO SMOKING, NO OPEN FIRES or anything that might create SPARKS are allowed in the proximity of these chemicals.
        • A fire extinguisher should always be brought along with flammable chemicals.

        • Transportation of chemicals must be carried out in accordance with special safety regulations. Retrieve the correct safety sheet for each chemical, read through it and adapt the protocol, protective equipment accordingly. Attach the Safety sheet for each chemical to this risk assessment. If in doubt about how to proceed, consult the lab manager.
        • Only bring the absolute minimum amount in appropriate containers and keep them as cold as possible – preferably in a cooling box.
        • Never keep chemicals in a hot car! Ethanol, which many groups use for disinfecting, can be dangerous when left in a hot car. Batteries can explode.
        • Spirit or gas used for cooking should also be handled with caution.

      • If the weather is hot, bring enough water and refreshments, and drink often. Bring salt-regulating agents, such as Resorb to balance the body’s salt level.

        • First aid kit – remember to bring at least one per group!
        • The fieldworkers should disclose any health issues that may affect their ability to undertake the fieldwork and such information must be treated confidentially.
        • Mobile phone with phone numbers of all members of the field group.
        • ICE (”In Case of Emergency”) programmed on your mobile phone.
        • First aid course – at least one in the group should have attended such a course. https://www.staff.lu.se/support-and-tools/security/first-aid
        • Hospital – check where the closest health care facility or hospital is situated.

      • Ensure that all tools and measuring equipment to be used are functional and safe. Some equipment (such as a chainsaw) requires special training and protective clothing before work can be carried out. Become familiar with safety risks associated with the equipment you will be using before starting fieldwork and take a training course if necessary. Make sure you store the equipment and batteries in a safe place, protected from extreme weather conditions.

      • Bring maps, mobile phone and GPS for work in terrain far away from roads. Remember to bring extra batteries! Carry a headlamp if you work in evenings, to secure visibility. For fieldwork in remote locations, MGeo has access to emergency transmitters that connect to satellites and can be used in case of emergency to get help. Ask the Head of department or the Director of studies for details about booking the equipment.

      • Adapt your clothing so you do not get too warm in summertime or freeze in winter. Bring extra clothes in case you get wet and need to change. 

      • Always avoid working alone, schedule regular breaks, plan enough time to complete fieldwork and, when possible, limit long working hours. Make a list of work priorities with the fieldwork coordinator so that it is clear what the most important tasks are and which ones can be left out if necessary.

      • There is a potential risk of harassment during fieldwork. To follow general safety rules contributes to reducing (but not eliminating) these risks. Prioritize personal safety when in an ambiguous situation. If you suspect harassment has happened inform the field work coordinator and the Head of department. You can also contact your health- and safety representative, or a colleague you feel confident talking to. 

      • Avoid hunting season or sites where hunting is going on. Make sure all students and assistants (Swedish and non-Swedish) understand the sign “Jakt pågår!” (hunting in progress) and that they keep out from that area – no matter other agreements with landowners! It is also a good idea to wear colorful clothing.

      • If a ladder is used you are not allowed to climb higher than 4 meters. (If you intend to climb higher than that you must complete a special course.)

      • Make sure you have the landowner’s approval of your fieldwork and keep in good contact with them. The landowner must always be contacted beforehand if destructive sampling is to be carried out and if sampling equipment, like traps, are left in the field. Check carefully what is covered by “Allemansrätten” https://www.naturvardsverket.se/allemansratten/, “The right of public access” https://www.naturvardsverket.se/en/topics/the-right-of-public-access/, and if in doubt contact the landowner. Use clothes and car stickers with the LU logo. (Reporting back to land-owners if you see something you might find strange is most often very much appreciated – therefore it is a good idea to bring a list with contact information of all involved landowners)

      • Ask for help when lifting or carrying heavy items and use the correct technique for lifting (i.e. bending your knees).

      • The risk assessment should account for specific risks associated with pregnancy.

      • Be careful on slippery surfaces. Wear suitable shoes.

      • If you are allergic to bee or bumblebee stings, you must carry your personal medicine and avoid working alone. Wear full-coverage clothing and if possible, repellant. In case you get stung, always contact the nearest medical center for advice, since you could experience a paraphyletic shock unexpectedly.

      • Wear light-coloured, full-coverage clothing. Use repellent if possible and put your socks outside your trousers. It’s also advisable to use rubber boots. After field work, examine yourself for ticks. Pay attention to skin redness that may indicate Borrelia.

      • Will the fieldwork be carried out in an area with TBE?
        If the answer is yes, the employer will pay the vaccination for all fieldworkers, including hourly employed.
        The employee is responsible for getting vaccinated, and please note that the employer takes no responsibility for anyone who does not get vaccinated.
        The vaccination consists of three doses for one year. You get some protection after the first dose. Keep in mind that the first dose of TBE vaccine must be taken two months before the fieldwork begins to provide proper protection. Save the receipts and register the claim in Primula and Lund University will reimburse the costs.

        • Avoid driving for a long time. Take frequent breaks, and change drivers at regular intervals.
        • Check the condition of the car and especially the tyres.
        • If an accident happens involving personal injury call 112. This also applies if you think the police should be present. You call 114 14 if you want to get in contact with the police in non-emergency matters, for example if you get involved in an accident. If abroad, make sure to have the right emergency telephone numbers at hand.

      • Never leave waste from experiments etc. in the field. Bring appropriate waste containers:

        • Plastic bags for burnable waste.
        • Correctly marked container for sharp and pointed waste.
        • Correctly marked containers for chemical waste.

      • Check for weather warnings and avoid working when there is a high risk of e.g. extreme heat, wildfire, heavy snowfall, strong winds or flooding.

        • Order insurance certificate cards from Kammarkollegiet.
        • Make sure everyone has contact information to Falck Global Assistance (+46 8 587 717 49)
        • Send a list of participants to Division of External Relations, Lunds University.
        • Get updated on https://www.regeringen.se/uds-reseinformation/ud-resklar/, and download the app "UD Resklar".
        • Bring copies of your passport.
        • Check the recommended vaccinations or prophylaxis.
        • Find out the best way to pay with local currency.
        • Bring a copy of the certificate from the university that is the co-operating partner.
        • Keep regular contact with people at home.

      • Tecken kvar

      • When you are ready to send the filled out form click the "Send" button, a PDF file of the completed form will also be downloaded to your hard drive.