Credit: Nick Link, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Field Safety Toolkit

Field safety is a crucial component to broadening representation in field-based science. Field work can be a rewarding and formative experience, but it also has unique challenges including long hours, isolation, and potentially hazardous conditions and wildlife. 

In this toolkit we provide information and resources related to safety in the field including relevant training, documentation, reporting, and readings that help us understand the variety of barriers and challenges in the field. 

Links to Field Safety resources:

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Explore all our field safety resources:

ADVANCEing FieldSafety Toolkit

ADVANCEing FieldSafety Toolkit will be developed to include checklists, examples, fillable documents, and implementation guides that field teams can use to set codes of conduct, codes of ethics, surveys, reporting instruments, and structures to facilitate quick response in the field for different field contexts (e.g., undergraduate field campaign, ship-based research, tent-based field research). Each course module will have its unique Toolkit that will contain module-specific resources, such as the one mentioned above, and additional readings.

Creators:  ADVANCEing FieldSafety Team 
ADVANCEing FieldSafety Module Two: Communication and Leadership

Module two from the ADVANCEing FieldSafety Toolkit shares a variety of tools for field leaders and participants to increase communication, and facilitate healthy dialog in a field setting.

Creators:  ADVANCEing FieldSafety Team 
Working in the Field: New Solutions for Old Problems

Recommendations for solving issues for many women conducting field work.

Creators:  Caitlin I. Looby, Kathleen K. Treseder 
Trigger Warning: How to Take Care

An anonymous contributor shares their experience with a horribly all too common problem with remote field research: sexual harassment.

Creators:  Anonymous 
Signaling Safety: Characterizing Fieldwork Experiences and Their Implications for Career Trajectories

This study presents a qualitative analysis of field researchers’ experiences based on interviews, focusing on both positive and negative aspects of conducting academic research in the field. It identifies two main issues: unclear professional behavior guidelines at field sites and difficulties accessing professional resources and opportunities. Respondents reported a lack of consequences for breaches of conduct, such as harassment and assault, which negatively impacted their careers. The study introduces a “traffic light” model to illustrate the effects of varying clarity and access on field experiences. The findings build on previous survey results and suggest that fieldsite directors and principal investigators should adopt specific policies and procedures to enhance fieldwork experiences and promote equal opportunities.

Creators:  Robin G. Nelson, Julienne N. Rutherford, Katie Hinde, Kathryn B. H. Clancy, , , ,  
The Challenges of Fieldwork for LGBTQ+ Geoscientists

This article summarizes survey findings of LGBTQ+ scientists in the geosciences community and highlights the unique challenges they face.

Creators:  A. N. Olcott, M. R. Downen 
Mental health in the field

This article speaks to the importance of mental health in field work and summarizes the factors that impact mental health in the field.

Creators:  Cédric Michaël John, Saira Bano Khan 
Safety and Belonging in the Field: A Checklist for Educators

A comprehensive checklist that seeks to make fieldwork a “positive, generative, collective, and valuable experience for all participants.” Written by authors with a wide range of backgrounds and field experiences, this document stresses inclusivity over each step in the fieldwork process, from planning to the return and debrief.

Creators:  Sarah E.Greene, Gawain T.Antell, Jake Atterby, Rehemat Bhatia, Emma M.Dunne, Sam Giles, Sebastian S.Groh, Emma M.Hanson, Jason Hilton, Hazel Knight, Peter Kraft, Esme Morgan, Isobel Rhodes, Francisca G.T.Rockey, Shivani Singh, Carl T.Stevenson, Simiao Sun, Bridget A.Warren, James R. Wheeley, Kweku A.Yamoah 
Playing It Safe: Recognizing and Managing Risk When Working With Students in the Field

A website from NAGT with resources and recommendations on field safety including being prepared for emergencies, reducing risk, and protecting yourself and your department when taking students out into the field.

Creators:  Barbara Tewksbury, David Tewksbury 
Toilet stops in the field: An educational primer and recommended best practices for field-based teaching

This document is intended to educate staff and students about toilet stops and menstruation in the field. This document also contains a set of recommendations for field work and field trips with the aim of minimizing stress and anxiety for all parties.

Creators:  Sarah Greene, Kate Ashley, Emma Dunne, Kirsty Edgar, Sam Giles, Emma Hanson 

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