You have the right to halt work you feel is unsafe to further discuss the risks and potential mitigation options with your supervisor (documentation).
Your work is regulated by Cal OSHA beyond any university regulations (e.g., you have a right to whistleblow and file a state complaint; you also have minimum rights to shade in hot outdoor workplaces) (documentation).
You can talk to your PI/Supervisor and try to resolve differences in perspective on the safety of the task you are asked to do. If you cannot resolve the issue, you can reach out to: Sara Souza (Program Director, University of California Field Research Safety, sarasouza@berkeley.edu) in EH&S.
You may be eligible for workers compensation if injured.
You can report an incident or injury to EH&S (here).
Minimum reasonable expectations
Make a safety plan and review it with your supervisor.
Confirm the communication plan (emergency contacts and frequency/mode of check-ins).
Your supervisor helps you understand your benefits and eligibility for workers compensation (here) based on your appointment.
You can find a printable version of the Know Your Rights document here.
Planning for safe field work involves three major steps: creating a field safety plan, attending the necessary safety training, and getting access to safety gear.
Creating a field safety plan: On the Field Safety Plan page, you can find template field safety plans. If you need assistance filling out your field safety plan, you can find filled out (redacted) field safety plans here.
Your field safety plan is a document that you create prior to conducting any field work and should be updated regularly (ex: before each field season). Ideally, you create this document with your team, and every person has the opportunity to identify hazards or risks that they have about the work. This is also important in the section of the field safety plan that acts a set of community guidelines. This document should be shared with your PI in case of emergency.
As of Fall 2024, it is now recommended by the department that you share your field safety plan with the department as a component of your prospectus and yearly after that. Soon, there will be a form online to do this easily. In addition, Mel Baldino will be offering office hours in the Spring Semester to workshop field safety plans.
NOTE: If you are traveling for the work or using boats, drones, ATVs, planes, or snowmobiles, UC Berkeley has specific documents and plans that you must turn in. These can be found in The Field Operations Safety Manual.
Attending the necessary safety trainings: Once you have filled out your field safety plan, you should have created a list of trainings that you find relevant for your work.
You can access some trainings online at the UC Field Safety Leadership Training Series website. Additional trainings will be listed in The Field Operations Safety Manual. Keep an eye out for UC Berkeley hosted trainings such as Wilderness First Aid or FieldFutures training on Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention.
You can also attend field safety workshops offered by Mel Baldino of the ESPM Field Safety Committee: general grad student field safety, crew management, and identity-based risks. You can find the workshop dates and details here.
Getting access to safety gear: According to the Report on 2024 Field Safety Surveys, about 1/3 of the respondents pay for all of their field safety trainings and supplies personally. While this is unacceptable, it may be your reality.
When writing fellowship budgets, you should include line items for safety supplies and trainings, such as a first aid kit, satellite phone, etc. You should communicate with your advisor about getting access to grant or disgressionary funding for safety supplies. You can also ask around the community for available shared resources.
Check out our gear sharing program to apply for a loan of first aid kits, satellite communication devices, and other field gear!
When an incident occurs, you need to take care of any immediate danger or injury as soon as possible. Once the situation is stable, you should report the incident.
You should follow these steps:
First Aid & Initial Response
Seek Medical Care or Other Support
Report Incident to Campus
The steps for incident reporting are
Report any incident to your supervisor and department
Supervisors are responsible for reporting your incident to EH&S or Risk Services and complete the incident report forms
Discuss improvements to safety plan to avoid future incidents
Even though your supervisor is responsible for reporting the incident to the university, it is a good idea to keep incident reports in your field kit just to make sure you gather all important information.
Learning from Incidents and Near-Misses
When you are safe and out of danger of an incident or near-miss, it is important to talk about why it happened, whether it was avoidable, and how to update your safety plan to avoid dangers like this in the future. You should allow all members of the team to participate in this discussion.
Faculty that prioritize safety frequently in conversations with their lab, while planning field work and after the work has been completed, create an environment where students learn to prioritize safety and feel comfortable reporting when things go wrong in the field. We hope that with our current work we can encourage faculty to create safe lab environments, which in turn will encourage field safety to be valued throughout the community. Be vocal with faculty mentors about field safety being a priority to you and suggest a meeting to fill out a field safety plan together.
Graduate students can work to create a safe departmental culture through being vocal about safety in your work and classrooms. Always speak up if you feel unsafe. Be clear with your students throughout the semester that safety is priority. Use field safety plans in your research and classrooms. Provide many opportunities for your crew or students to provide feedback on the plans. Plan to discuss safety and comfort throughout your projects, whether after near-miss and injury reports or as a simple daily rose-bud-thorn activity. Talk to your lab mates and classmates about the lack of field safety we experience currently. Share resources with them about how to be safe, including the documents and training we have shared here.
What if my advisor doesn't seem concerned about field safety?
If your advisor doesn’t seem concerned about field safety, you should first have a discussion with them about your interest in field safety in your work. If they do not want to support this interest, then there are a few other ways to get guidance and create a culture of safety in your lab.
You can plan a lab meeting where you read and discuss a paper about field safety (such as Safe fieldwork strategies for at-risk individuals, their supervisors and institutions). Having thoughtful discussions as a group may illuminate the need for field safety in your work.
If you have a guiding, qualifying exam, or dissertation committee set up, approach the members about your desire for guidance and support in field safety. They may be more receptive than your advisor.
If you are dissatisfied with your advisor’s response, you can approach the HGA. Due to the new department recommendations that were accepted in Fall 2024, advisors are expected to support students with field safety and plan to be safe in their own work. The HGA or ESPM council may be able to facilitate a discussion between you and your advisor to get the support you desire.
If you are unsure about your next steps, you can always email the members of the ESPM Field Safety Committee. We are happy to help you navigate this challenge and support you in any way we can.