Field Safety

NAU’s Field Safety Program applies to faculty, staff, and students who venture off-campus for learning and research opportunities. These activities may include academic field trips, field research, and field observations in all off-campus settings.

Note: It is the responsibility of the Fieldwork Director (faculty member, supervisor, or PI designing field activities) to ensure that field teams have the necessary safety resources to mitigate field risks.

NAU’s Field Safety Program

The following elements aid in planning, assessing, and mitigating any hazards specific to the field work being conducted:

Field Safety Manual
This document serves to familiarize faculty members, principal investigators, field trip leaders, and field team members with the minimum requirements and associated roles and responsibilities for safe fieldwork.

Waiver
Select the appropriate waiver for the fieldwork depending on whether the program is mandatory or voluntary. Contact Risk Management for more assistance.

Field Safety Plan Template – Mandatory
This form will help Field Team Leaders document specific information about planned fieldwork, and account for the activity specific precautions that will be taken to reduce risks to field team members.
This template is completed prior to beginning fieldwork and must be approved by the appropriate faculty member or principal investigator (Fieldwork Director) prior to the start of fieldwork.
A printed copy of this plan will be reviewed with all field team members and a copy must be kept on file with your department designee (see Field Safety Manual for more information) and uploaded to your Employee Service Center Travel Case.
This document will provide crucial information for on-campus contacts in the event of a field incident. If your field team will be working remotely, you should provide a printed copy of all field safety documents on hand for field team review prior to leaving campus to help them prepare. You will also keep a printed copy on site during the duration of your field work.

Your fieldwork activities or field location may require additional, specialized training for your team. Plan ahead and contact NAUEHS@nau.edu for additional assistance in identifying training requirements for specialized activities.

Activity Specific Safety Resources

Because off-campus endeavors vary greatly in their scope and activities, EHS has created a library of concise resources to address common field hazards.

Fieldwork Directors (usually principal investigators or faculty members) are responsible for supplementing their Field Safety Plan with these or other resources as necessary to mitigate activity-specific risks. Topics and resources that may be applicable to your fieldwork are provided below. If you would like to request or suggest additional resources, please contact NAUEHS@nau.edu.