Safety in the field is a priority for the Northern Research Committee. We have compiled this reference of suggested considerations to help students and supervisors.
The Northern Research Committee has worked over the years to raise awareness around field safety considerations when working in remote northern locations, as well as adapting Carleton University risk management protocols to suit northern field work considerations. The committee strongly encourages students and supervisors to carefully assess and discuss the potential risks involved with field work locations, equipment, and logistics, and to ensure that students have adequate training, supervision, and emergency protocols in place.
In order to support students and supervisors in engaging in safe and productive field work, we recommend that you consult the Carleton University Field Safety Program site here: https://carleton.ca/ehs/field-safety/. There you will find many resources related to planning field activities. This includes the:
- CU Field Safety Guidelines, which provides guidance on how to plan for the field, and the
- CU Field Activity Safety Plan, which is a form that should be completed to plan for your safety
If you have questions about field safety, please direct them to ehs@carleton.ca or consult the Northern Research Committee Chair.
The Northern Research Committee has some additional resources on field safety that you might find helpful:
On March 11, 2016, we held a workshop on field safety. If you want to know more, you can download the safety workshop report.
Christie Macdonald and Kerry Woo trap cliff nesting seabirds at Digges Island, Nunavik (J. Werner)