the absence of these, advice is available in Nichols (1999), Winser (2004), Aldiss (2007), USHA/UCEA (2011),14 and Daniels and Lavallee (2014). It is advisable for at least some participants in any field project to be trained in emergency first aid, especially when working in remote environments.
Although all environments are potentially hazardous, you should pay particular attention when working at the coast (especially with regard to tides and hazards including quicksand), rivers (above all with regard to potential flash floods), the uplands and mountain areas (especially with regard to sudden changes in weather conditions and the risk of exposure), and in situations where there is a risk from disease transmission, poisonous and venomous plants and animals, or anti‐social or violent behaviour from other people.
Try to avoid working alone in the field. If you must work alone, always carry a mobile (cell) phone and check out and back in with someone who knows your plan of work. Clothing and footwear should be suitable for the terrain and climatic conditions (warm and waterproof, or cool and sun‐proof). Safety glasses and gloves should be worn to handle chemicals, and suitable gloves to protect you against thorns and infection from soil and waterborne disease. Take particular care where there is risk of disease transmission such as Weil's disease15 (near to rivers and canals) and Lyme disease16 (transmitted by ticks). Blooms of some algae, such as Cyanobacteria (blue‐green algae), can be toxic to humans through skin contact and swallowing.17 In the tropics, it is important to be aware of mosquito‐borne diseases (including but not confined to malaria) and how to avoid being bitten both during the day and at night.18 Be aware of any other risks, including bites from venomous creatures (e.g. snakes), other toxic species (e.g. poisonous plants, scorpions, spiders, and stonefish, which have toxic spines), and the possibility of rabies from mammals (depending on the country in which you are working). Keep your tetanus injections up to date and consult appropriate authorities (e.g. The UK National Health Service19 and the US Department of Health and Human Services20) regarding advised vaccines when travelling further afield. In general, ensure you are properly equipped (see Box 1.2) and avoid risks to help to ensure problem‐free project work.
Box 1.2 Suggested minimum equipment required for fieldwork
Always recommended
First aid kit.
Map(s) of the area.
Paper for recording (preferably in notebook form and waterproof if possible).
Pencils and sharpener (avoid ink if possible; even waterproof inks can run when wet).
Mobile (cell) phone (fully charged and with spare batteries).
Whistle.
Compass or global positioning system (GPS) receiver.
Watch.
Appropriate clothing and footwear.
Appropriate safety equipment (e.g. gloves, safety glasses, etc.).
Appropriate sampling equipment (nets, traps, plastic tubes, plastic bags). NB: put any samples in a double plastic bag and label each bag so that if one label does come off, the other is there for reference. Whilst some marker pens may be reasonably waterproof, because of the risk of the ink running or rubbing off, it is better to add a label to each bag using waterproof paper marked with a soft pencil).
Recommended depending on terrain, weather, and timing and extent of work
Survival bag.
Emergency food.
Torch (fully charged and with spare batteries).
If working outside of your usual comfort zone, for example in locations overseas, check with researchers or organisations (e.g. The Royal Geographical Society of London21) who have experience of working in such countries or habitat types. The travel advice section of the UK Foreign Office website provides up to date information which can help to plan and implement risk assessments for overseas work.22 Even within your sphere of experience, avoid complacency, since conditions may change and even small risks can be hazardous.
Once the legal, ethical, and health and safety issues have been properly examined, it is important to address these through a thorough formal risk assessment process. Most organisations have their own risk assessment proformas and a protocol for producing and checking them. Remember that you should include any hazards that you envisage could occur, together with appropriate equipment and actions (including training) that should help to mitigate the level of risk. All members of the team implementing the work should be fully briefed on the risk assessment and be comfortable that the work in which they will participate is within their skill level. Include within the risk assessment pack any additional information, such as details of important contacts, relevant COSHH material, appropriate first aid information, etc. It is important to recognise that risk assessments are dynamic, working documents that should be revisited and amended where necessary during all phases of the project implementation (especially if issues do arise). When issues do occur, they need to be recorded and any actions taken fully documented. USHA/UCEA (2011) include a list of possible hazard types that should be considered.
Implementation
You will need to complete a thorough literature search and possibly even consult other scientists experienced in the field of your proposed research in order to appropriately define and refine the appropriate methods for your study. There will usually be a balance between the ideal solution in terms of the methods used, and logistical restrictions of time, and availability of equipment and expertise. Work through all the logistical aspects you can, well in advance of final implementation, to reduce the possibility that there will be significant problems and delays. This is especially important where there is a large team of researchers involved, where the field sites and/or techniques are relatively novel to you, and where equipment and specimens require transporting, especially overseas. Case Study 1.2 discusses an example of how one research team dealt with the creation of appropriate facilities in difficult environmental conditions and successfully brought their samples home. Provided that your project has been well designed, and pilot studies have enabled you to refine your techniques, the implementation of the project should be straightforward. Here, we emphasise the importance of careful note taking and time management during your project. It is important that all participants are thoroughly briefed on the project, its risks, methods, lines of communication, actions to be taken in the event of any problems, etc., before implementation.
Case Study 1.2 Processing and transporting marine microbes
