Field Research Safety
Field research encompasses any outdoor activities in remote or uncontrolled environments that are conducted primarily for research purposes, and can pose levels of risk to research team members which may range from minimal to potentially lethal. To address this, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) has developed a Field Research Safety Program. As part of the scope of this program, employees and students of SDSU (and SDSURF) that perform field research activities beyond the geographic boundaries of university property are strongly encouraged to submit a Field Research Safety Plan (FRSP). The purpose of this document is to anticipate potential hazards and to lay out plans to prevent or mitigate them. For this to be fully effective, the FRSP has to be completed and reviewed by all participants and by EHS.
This page contains information that will help you conduct your field research safely, whether you are a few miles from your office or on the other side of the globe.
Figure 1 - Ecosystem ecologist and post-doctoral fellow Kyle Arndt checking on the measurement equipment set up by SDSU in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska. Online Source: SDSU Newscenter
Contact Research Safety Services:
Resources
Forms and Guidelines
- SDSU Field Research Safety Plan (pdf)
- SDSU Field Research Safety Plan (MSWord)
- Field Research Safety FAQ
- Vehicle Inspection Checklist
- Heat Index
Training
- Field Research Awareness Training (coming soon!)
- Wilderness First Aid Training (third party provider)
SDSU Programs
- SDSU Heat Illness and Prevention Program
- SDSU Wildfire Smoke Exposure Management Program
- SDSU Scientific Diving Program
Satellite Communication Devices
Discipline Specific Safety Resources
- Agriculture
- UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) provides excellent “Safety Notes” for a variety of outdoor and field activities
- Geology and Earth Sciences
- Polar Environments
- Wildlife Biology
- Guidelines for use of wild animals in research and teaching (American Society of Mammalogists)
- Guidelines to the use of wild birds in research, 3rd Edition (2010)
- Use of fishes in research/fisheries safety (American Fisheries Society)
- Precautions for Zoonotic Disease Prevention in Veterinary Personnel (National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians)
- Health Risks for Marine Mammal Works (UC Davis Vet Medicine, 2008)
- Disease Precautions for Hunters (AVMA)
Additional Resources
- World Health Organization
- U.S. State Department
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- California Department of Public Health
- Extreme Weather
- Flora/Fauna