Field Research

Safely working and conducting research outdoors, off-campus, and abroad.

UC Berkeley Field Safety Plan

Office of Environment, Health & Safety

A field safety plan serves as a tool to document your hazard assessment, communication plan, emergency procedures, and training. This plan should identify hazards, as well as precautions and actions taken to address and mitigate those hazards.

Workplace Safety

California state regulations require every employer to establish, implement and maintain an effective Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). In August 2017, the University adopted a campuswide Workplace Safety Program that serves as the University’s central IIPP for creating a safe and healthful work environment. Having one program for the whole University helps to improve access, consistency, and usability across all departments. EH&S is the responsible department for overseeing the campuswide Workplace Safety Program. The campus Workplace Safety Program is based on the Injury...

Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) requires plans for safe & inclusive off-campus and off-site research, effective January 30, 2023.

A written plan is required per the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) 23-1 for NSF-funded research; see NSF PAPPG (2023)

The plan must describe how the following types of behavior...

Mental Health in the Field: Best Practices and Pitfalls

Saira Bano Khan
Cédric John
2021

The goal of this workshop is to increase your awareness of the impact of offsite activities on mental health. We will give a presentation on common problems associated with mental health in the field, looking at small to large group teaching and research expeditions. Some case examples will be given, with an explanation of how the field situation may impact mental health, why, and possible mitigation strategies. Several scenarios will be presented, and groups will be encouraged to discuss, assess and come up with possible solutions.

Speaker(s):

Dr. Saira...

Muzna Rauf

Environmental Health Specialist, REHS
Food Facilities
Event Safety
Food & Water Safety
Field Research

Wildfire Smoke Monitoring Information

Access Campus Air Quality Map

Air quality may change quickly depending on wildfire intensity and weather conditions. The Campus Air Quality Map is updated hourly and...

Virtual field tools to establish expectations and reduce anxiety

Ryan Petterson
2022

What is a virtual field tool? What can we do with virtual field tools? Learn about novelty space, cognitive load, and how virtual field tools to establish expectations and reduce anxiety.

Speaker:

Ryan Petterson, Director of Field Education, Stanford University

Materials Got Feedback? Presentation Evaluate

Trip Planning: Risk Management for Field Settings

Chris Lay
2021

Poor communication is often an overlooked contributor to incidents in field settings. For this reason, it's critical for field leaders to establish clear expectations for a safe learning environment, good rapport between leaders and participants, tools for managing conflict, and open lines of communication.

Speaker:

Chris Lay, UC Santa Cruz, Ken Norris Center for Natural History

Video Materials Got Feedback? 03/03/2021 Recording

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