Fieldwork safety, hazards and contingency planning

Overview

Risk assessment, difference between a hazard and a risk and hazards of a river fieldwork day.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is a risk assessment, and what must it contain?

   Model answer

   A risk assessment is a written appraisal, made before going into the field, of what could cause harm at the site and what will be done about it. It lists each hazard, identifies who could be affected, judges how likely the harm is and how severe it would be, states the control measures that will reduce the risk, and states the contingency arrangements if something goes wrong anyway. It is prepared during planning, checked on arrival because conditions change, and it is part of the design of the fieldwork rather than an afterthought.

2. 2

   What is the difference between a hazard and a risk?

   Model answer

   A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm - fast-flowing water, a cliff edge, traffic, cold weather. A risk is the chance that the hazard will actually harm someone, combined with how serious that harm would be. The same hazard carries very different risks in different circumstances: a river is a hazard whether it is ankle deep in summer or in spate after heavy rain, but the risk is far higher in the second case. Control measures work by reducing the risk, since the hazard itself usually cannot be removed.

3. 3

   How is the seriousness of a risk judged?

   Model answer

   By combining how likely the harm is with how severe it would be if it happened. A hazard that is very likely but trivial in effect, such as getting wet feet, ranks low; one that is unlikely but potentially fatal, such as being cut off by the tide, ranks high and demands strong controls. Judging the two together stops the assessment from either ignoring rare but catastrophic events or being paralysed by minor ones, and it decides where the effort of prevention should go.

4. 4

   What are the hazards of a river fieldwork day, and what controls would you put in place?

   Model answer

   Deep or fast water and the risk of being swept off your feet; slippery banks and boulders; cold water and hypothermia; sharp objects and pollution in the channel, including the risk of infection from contaminated water; steep or unstable banks; and farm animals and machinery on the approach. Controls include checking the recent rainfall and river level and cancelling if it is high, working only in shallow water at safe sites, never entering water alone, wearing wellingtons or waders with good grip and warm waterproof clothing, covering cuts before entering the water and washing hands before eating, and having an adult supervising each group from the bank.

5. 5

   What are the hazards of coastal fieldwork, and what controls would you put in place?

   Model answer

   Being cut off or swept away by an incoming tide, unstable cliffs and rockfall from above, slippery rocks and seaweed, deep water and rip currents, and exposure to wind, sun and cold. Controls include consulting the tide tables and planning to work on a falling tide with a stated time to leave, keeping well back from both the cliff top and the cliff base, wearing footwear with grip and a helmet where rockfall is possible, never working with your back to the sea, checking the weather forecast and sea state, and agreeing a safe exit route from the beach before starting.

6. 6

   What are the hazards of urban fieldwork, and what controls would you put in place?

   Model answer

   Traffic when crossing roads and counting at the kerbside, personal safety when working alone or in unfamiliar areas, hostile or intimidating responses when approaching the public with a questionnaire, getting separated from the group, and slips or trips on busy pavements. Controls include working in pairs or small groups and never alone, using designated crossings and standing well back from the kerb when counting, carrying a charged phone with the leader's number, agreeing regular check-in times and a meeting point, avoiding surveying after dark or in quiet areas, wearing identification, and breaking off any conversation that becomes uncomfortable.

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