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Field Safety Resources

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*Coming Soon: NAU’s Guide to Common Field Hazards

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 Accordion Closed

  • 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 Accordion Closed

  • 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 Accordion Closed

  • 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.

Training Accordion Closed

  • 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.

Altitude-related Illness Accordion Closed

  • Altitude-related Illness

Animals and Insects Accordion Closed

  • Bats
  • Bears
  • Mountain Lions
  • Rodents
  • Ticks
  • Mosquitoes
  • Venomous Snakes
  • Venomous Spiders

Backcountry Camping Accordion Closed

  • Drinking Water

Biological Hazards Accordion Closed

  • NAU Bloodborne Pathogens Program
  • COVID-19
  • Pox Virus
  • Anthrax 
  • Bird Flu (H5N1 – CDC)
  • Bird Flu (H5N1 – OSHA)
  • Dengue
  • Hantavirus (CDC)
  • Hantavirus (OSHA)
  • Food and Waterborne Illness
  • Leptospirosis
  • Rabies
  • Ticks and Lyme Disease
  • Measles
  • Plague
  • Tularemia
  • Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis)
  • West Nile Virus
  • Zika
  • CDC Yellow Book
  • Mosquitoes, Ticks and Other Arthropods

Chainsaw Safety Accordion Closed

  • OSHA Chainsaw Safety Quick Card

Chemical Hazards Accordion Closed

  • NAU Hazard Communication Program
  • OSHA Chemical Safety Data Sheet Quick Card
  • OSHA Chemical Label Quick Card
  • OSHA Chemical Label Pictogram Quick Card
  • Transporting chemicals into the field. Contact: ryelan.mcdonough@nau.edu for requirements
  • Preventing chemical exposure in the field. Contact: ryelan.mcdonough@nau.edu for requirements

Communication in the Field Accordion Closed

Driving Accordion Closed

  • NAU Authorized Driver Program
  • Winter Driving Tips
  • OSHA Quick Card – Safe Driving Practices for Employees
  • Off-road/4WD Driving
  • ATVs
  • Risk Management

Drones – FAA requirements Accordion Closed

  • Drones – FAA requirements

Equipment Rentals Accordion Closed

  • Equipment Rentals

Excavation and Trench Safety Accordion Closed

  • Excavation and Trench Safety

Fire Accordion Closed

  • Fire

First Aid/CPR Accordion Closed

  • First Aid/CPR

Hunting Season Safety for Field Workers Accordion Closed

  • Hunting Season Safety for Field Workers

Incident Reporting Accordion Closed

  • NAU Field Safety Manual, Chapter 5
  • NAU Online Report of Injury

Infectious Agents and Diseases Accordion Closed

  • Rabies
  • Hantavirus (CDC)
  • Hantavirus (OSHA)
  • West Nile Virus
  • Zika Virus
  • Yellow Fever Virus
  • Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis)
  • Malaria
  • Giardia

International Travel Accordion Closed

  • Travel Advisories
  • Endemic Diseases
  • Destination-specific Travel Health/Vaccination Guidance
  • Risk Management

Ladder Safety Accordion Closed

  • Ladder Safety – OSHA Quick Card

Leave No Trace Principles Accordion Closed

  • Leave No Trace Principles

Machinery Hazards Accordion Closed

  • Chainsaw Safety
  • Power Tool Safety

Mental Health Resources at NAU Accordion Closed

  • Mental Health Resources at NAU

Personal Safety Tips Accordion Closed

  • Personal Safety Tips

Plants Accordion Closed

  • Poisonous Plants

Water Safety Accordion Closed

  • Diving
  • Boating
  • Swimming Safety
  • Water Crossings

Wayfinding Accordion Closed

  • Orienteering

Weather-Related Hazards Accordion Closed

  • OSHA Cold Stress Quick Card
  • OSHA Heat Illness Prevention
  • OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Infographic
  • Lightning
  • Avalanche Safety
  • Flash Floods
  • OSHA Decontamination in Floodwater Areas Quick Card
  • Winter Storms

Working from Heights Accordion Closed

  • Tree Climbing
  • Tower Climbing
  • Rock Climbing and Rappelling