Field Work Risk Management Activities

Field Work Risk Management Activities

There are safety guidelines regarding field trips, field work and internships. Please review the Field Work Risk Management section on the Safety Office website.

Lower Risk field work

For Lower Risk field work, completion of field work risk management form is not required. However, all participates must complete and sign Risk & Responsibility Form and Emergency Contact form. Forms can be submitted to the Technical Resources Manager. 

Lower Risk field work includes any activity taking place at another institution (e.g., university, hospital, library, government agency) that does not require vaccinations other than those routinely given in Ontario, and has no significant health, safety or environmental risk. Examples include:

• Supervised field trips/internships within Canada and USA
• Out-of-town trip to a university, government agency, non-governmental organizations (NGO), art gallery or museum
• Supervised sample collection or surveys
• Conference/meeting/workshop attendance

Higher Risk field work

For Higher Risk field work, it is necessary to complete a Field work Risk Management form and Job Hazard Analyses for the work that they are doing. Both of these forms must be signed by both your supervisor and approved by either the H&S coordinator (Chris Peace  ext. 30485) or the CEE Chair before any work or travel take place. See the Safety Office’s Field work Website and Waterloo International for more details on field work and travel procedures. Note, for processes and materials identified through the JHA Risk assessment as presenting a high Hazard, an SOP must be developed and individuals must receive hands-on training on the SOP, the process, and materials being used. The CEE H&S Coordinator is available to assist you in completing these forms and ensuring compliance with these procedures.

Field work risk management form must be completed and approved by the Chair or Technical Resources Manager and your Supervisor, prior to undertaking field work in any location external to UW that involves higher risk.

Higher Risk field work includes any activity that may cause personal harm or may negatively impact local environments, including buildings, or social or cultural norms. Examples include:

• Field work, field trips and internships outside Canada and USA
• Field work at industrial sites such as factories, mining operations and construction sites
• Activities that require specialized safety training and/or certification in the use of personal protective or safety equipment
• Field work at any international or remote location
• Travel to areas where immunization and/or significant health and safety precautions are required
• Work at sites with hazardous substances
• Overnight trips with undergraduate students
• Field work which by nature entails risk (e.g., travelling on water or ice, rock climbing, high altitude work, diving, working with dangerous flora or fauna or working in remote regions or habitats such as forests and lakes)