Understanding Field Site Risks

Field research entails both biotic risks (from animals, plants, and microorganisms) as well as abiotic risks (such as the weather and the study site terrain). Supervisors and team leaders should identify potential risks in a given field location ahead of time and make plans to mitigate them. When possible, supervisors should visit field sites and consult with local officials to determine the site-specific risks prior to sending field teams to collect data. If pre-assessment of risks are not possible, supervisors should make sure that they, or another equally-experienced field team member, joins field teams for the first time working in a new location. Many of these risks can be ameliorated with proper planning and training, including field safety courses, well-stocked first-aid kits, emergency plans, and protective equipment.

It is the supervisor’s responsibility to establish that team leaders and team members understand that their safety is a top priority during field research. Supervisors need to set clear rules and expectations that prioritize safety over data collection, and team leaders and team members should have authority to determine when field site risks are too high and they need to stop work and leave the site. Field team members are responsible for reviewing all safety materials provided and completing any required training. Team members should follow all safety protocols and report identified hazards to the team leader/supervisor.

Considerations for Minoritized Scientists

Appropriate field clothing and personal gear can be expensive and may not be affordable for all team members. While cheaper clothing--like blue jeans, cotton t-shirts and socks--or shoes like sneakers are suitable for some field sites or for single-day field research trips, cotton clothing does not dry quickly, can be very uncomfortable when wet, can cause rashes and skin abrasions, and can be dangerous when temperatures are cool. Sometimes, pricey specialty clothing and shoes are necessary for safe field research because inexpensive alternatives may be too uncomfortable or may put the researcher at greater risk of injury.

Considerations for Health and Disability

A variety of health conditions may interact more severely with certain environmental risks in the field. By adequately preparing team members for the types of conditions they will encounter during field research, supervisors can allow team members to assess their own safety and decide if they should disclose personal health information to reduce risks. Here are some general considerations supervisors and team leaders may need to account for when assessing risks:

The altitude of a field site may ameliorate or exacerbate pre-existing health conditions or certain types of medications may make a team member more susceptible to sunburn.
Team members with allergies may be at greater risk from stinging insects that can cause anaphylaxis or from plants producing copious amounts of pollen.
Team members with asthma may be at greater risk when working outside when air quality is poor.
Team members with lower visual or auditory acuity may be less likely to quickly respond to dangerous animals, like venomous snakes or approaching large mammals.
Team members with mobility-related disabilities are at higher risk of injury when traversing uneven terrain, or during natural disasters like flash floods.
Some insect-borne diseases carry greater risk for pregnant women and/or their developing baby. Mosquito-vectored illnesses like Zika virus, Chikungunya virus, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, Bunyamwera, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease, babesiosis, tick-borne encephalitis, relapsing fever, rocky-mountain spotted fever, and fly-borne illnesses like Chagas disease and Leishmaniasis have all been associated adverse pregnancy outcomes (Bodie-Williams and Knowles et al. 2016, O’Kelly and Lambert 2020).

Before You Go:

Make access to necessary field gear equitable

Supervisors should provide necessary field safety clothing and equipment (Appendix 3: List of recommended safety equipment to bring in a field vehicle) to all team members. In some instances, this might include providing the right types of durable hiking boots, waders, or quick-dry pants or shirts that some team members may not have the income to afford on their own. This gear could also have organizational logos to increase safety for researchers in the field. In other instances, supervisors may need to provide the whole team with additional field gear including work gloves, safety blaze-yellow vests, waders, snake chaps, life jackets, face masks, insect head nets, or helmets. Team leaders should inspect reusable gear for wear and tear and replace items that are ripped, torn, or no longer safe for use. Team leaders should maintain a checklist of the necessary field gear and equipment to make sure everything is packed for the trip.

Safety blaze-yellow vests may be checked out free of charge from EHS. A request can be submitted through the Field Work Safety Items Request Form .

Safely store hazardous chemicals

Common chemicals used in field research include gasoline, ethanol, formalin, compressed gasses, and radioisotopes. Team leaders should label storage containers and safely store hazardous supplies, especially those that are toxic, flammable, or combustible. Supervisors may need to apply for special approval for transporting these chemicals. Please contact EHS with questions. When handling field chemicals, team members should wear personal protective equipment and be trained in correct and safe usage. Please consult the PSU Chemical Hygiene Plan for deeper inquiries on chemical management.

Main things to consider:

Proper personal protection (gloves, dust masks, respirators if properly fit tested and deemed necessary) should be worn.
All chemicals transported (fixatives, solvents, etc.) must be transported in a labeled and durable secondary container.
Any hazardous wastes must be disposed of properly and legally.
SDS sheets should be available with personnel in the field and the hazards and safe handling reviewed by anyone who may come into contact with the chemicals.
A spill response plan has been developed and all personnel have been trained on specifics.
Chemical first aid procedures have been addressed.

Know how to operate dangerous field equipment safely

Some field equipment can cause significant injuries if team members are not trained on how to safely use them. Common dangerous field equipment includes chainsaws, firearms, and power tools. Supervisors should provide proper training and access to personal protective equipment to team leaders and members using this equipment. If firearms are necessary for research, supervisors should check local and state rules pertaining to firearm permitting, use, and safety (A summary of Oregon firearm regulations can be found here). The 2022 Oregon Ballot Measure 114 put into place new permit requirements for gun purchases.

Avoid dangerous animals and plants

Animals and plants that are big and small can transmit parasites, toxins, or venom. Team leaders and members should know how to avoid dangerous animals, how to behave if they get too close to a dangerous animal, and what to do if the animal charges or attacks. For example, team members should never approach large mammals (especially females with their young) or animals not related to field research, and should remain vigilant for venomous reptiles or insects. Team leaders and members should also know how to identify poisonous or noxious plants, which can cause blisters and rashes that can range from minor irritations to painful and disfiguring conditions.

Prevent insect-borne disease

Supervisors can minimize team member exposure to insect-borne diseases by providing team members protective equipment and insecticide and training team members on preventative measures that can reduce insect encounters or disease transmission. Pregnant team members should be aware of the potential insect-borne diseases prevalent at a field site, especially of those diseases that may be more dangerous to pregnant researchers. Standard protective equipment may include mosquito nets (for sleeping), head nets, coveralls, or permethrin-treated clothing. Common insecticides include insect repellents containing DEET or permethrin (for clothing only!) and picaridin (safe for skin). Supervisors should provide researchers with information on the common types of biting insect and insect-borne diseases at their field site and encourage researchers to use preventive measures while in the field or after their return.

Prepare for the entire range of possible climate conditions

One of the most dangerous factors in the field is the weather. When field teams are unprepared for all possible climate conditions, they put themselves at extreme risk. Extreme hot or cold temperatures can be life threatening. Wet feet get blisters that can prevent team members from walking; wet bodies are susceptible to hypothermia, even in mild temperatures. Supervisors should make sure that team leaders and members are aware of the range of climate conditions they will experience during a field trip so they can pack accordingly to keep themselves comfortable no matter how hot, cold, or wet the field site may get.

For field sites with cell phone service or internet access, team leaders and members should have reliable weather forecast websites and apps on their cell phones or computers. For field sites without internet or cell phone service, team members should have a shortwave radio. Sudden rain storms can disrupt communications or cause floods or landslides that can disrupt travel, so team members need to be able to track changing weather conditions to keep themselves safe.

Team leaders should also be aware that air quality could also dictate when it is safe for field crews to work. Forest fires can create toxic smoke that can travel hundreds of miles away from the actual fire; air pollution from human combustion of fossil fuels in and outside of cities can make air quality so poor that it is unsafe to be outside. When possible, team leaders should check air quality websites daily such as AirNow.

Prepare for natural disasters

Depending on the field site and season for field research, field teams need to be equipped to respond to natural disasters like fires, flash floods, landslides, or avalanches. Navigation, by foot or by vehicle, can become dangerous when visibility becomes poor owing to fog, smoke, haze, hard rain, or snow. Flash floods and landslides can make roads or trails impassable, trapping vehicles or team members traveling on foot. For remote field sites with high natural disaster risks, supervisors need to coordinate evacuation plans with field team leaders and members. Team leaders should consider the mobility of team members when creating evacuation plans to make sure that all team members can get out of field sites quickly and safely. Supervisors may need to delay field research or avoid field sites that have such a high risk of natural disaster that some team members with limited mobility cannot safely navigate.