Fieldwork Risk Management

Surveying in the field

Fieldwork is any work, study or research authorised by UNSW and conducted by workers (such as staff, post-graduate student) and others (such as under-graduate student(s) and volunteers) at a location outside of a laboratory, library or workplace setting. 

Low Risk Fieldwork: Fieldwork or off-site travel where a person or persons may be exposed to hazards and risks which are considered low in terms of both the environment and the activity. Low risk environments have ready access to emergency services (15 minutes), communication, food and shelter. Low risk activities are those which can be undertaken without the need for specialist training or procedures to ensure safety.

  • On-campus activities are not classified as fieldwork in HS917 Fieldwork Procedure. Read and declare competency are required for each student in the class. The following process must be done before the first on-campus practice for each student in each class.

    • Course coordinator sends students' zIDs to Yincai and Peter if they have no access to the class’s Moodle site.
    • The zIDs are entered into a competency plan in Salus.
    • Students receives an email which contains a link to the Competency Plan.
    • Each student is required to read RMF-0000794 & SWP-0002131 and declare competence.

  • These activities are outside of the campus perimeter, which is different from on-campus activities. However, all the practices are very close (less than 100 m) to campus and within UNSW Security patrol zones. Even though, they have more potential risks than on-campus activities. Hence, the following process must be done before each practice.

    • Course coordinator sends students' zIDs to Yincai and Peter if they have no access to the class’s Moodle site.
    • The zIDs are entered into a competency plan in Salus.
    • Students receives an email which contains a link to the Competency Plan.
    • Each student is required to read  RMF-0007741 & SWP-0002131 and declare competence.

  • The following process must be done before the field work.

    • Course coordinator sends students' zIDs to Yincai and Peter if they have no access to the class’s Moodle site.
    • The zIDs are entered into a competency plan in Salus.
    • Students receives an email which contains a link to the Competency Plan.
    • Each student is required to read  RMF-0007890 & SWP-0002131 and declare competence.
    • An occurrence of the activity form ATV-0000226 is completed and sent to the Head of School for approval.

  • The following process must be done before the field work.

    • Course coordinator sends students' zIDs to Yincai and Peter if they have no access to the class’s Moodle site.
    • The zIDs are entered into a competency plan in Salus.
    • Students receives an email which contains a link to the Competency Plan.
    • Each student is required to read  RMF-0001118  & SWP-0002131 and declare competence.
    • An occurrence of the activity form ATV-0000209 is completed and sent to the Head of School for approval.

For other off-campus fieldworks, new RMFs and/or Activity forms may be required.