RISK ASSESSMENT FOR TRAVEL AND FIELDWORK

To be completed by faculty staffand students intending to carry out research, fieldwork or overseas travel.

Please complete this form before making an on-line application for travel insurance, so that you can attach the completed form to your on-line insurance application, together with any other supporting paperwork[1]. Your on-line travel insurance application will not be approved if this is not done. Please ALSO refer to the University guidelines on business travel (including circumstances when it is possible to travel business class); and also to the information about eligibility for insurance on the Travel Insurance website.

The Head of Department is required to approve all overseas research or fieldwork. You must submit this form well in advance, preferably at least 4 weeks in advance of overseas work (and please note that high risk applications will need to be referred to the Insurance Office, for which 6 weeks should be allowed). No travel should be booked until approval has been obtained. If you are nottaking out University Insurance, please complete Part 1, as travel registration is still required.

Students - You must complete Part 1 and then discuss with your supervisor the need to continue with the risk assessment in Parts 2 and 3.

Staff– If you are lecturing, attending conferences, visiting colleagues, attending meetings or doing library/desk-based research in the UK, Northern America or the European Union you do not need to complete this form. However, if there is any element of risk in any of your activities or associated with the place you are visiting, you will be asked to complete Parts I and II, and Part III if applicable before your travel insurance application can be considered.

PART I

NAME:
POSITION/COURSE OF STUDY:
CENTRE/INSTITUTE (IF APPLICABLE):
COLLEGE (IF APPLICABLE):
DESTINATION:
ACTIVITY:
SOURCE OF FUNDS:

INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF RISK

Carefully consider your travel plans, the nature of the activity you will be engaged in, its location, and whether these will give rise to any risk to your own, or anyone else’s safety and health. Consider the likelihood of any risks occurring and the severity of outcome if they were to occur.

Check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website to see if the country/ies to which you are travelling have any advice/warnings posted.

FCO advice is (please complete):

Tick one box

Low Risk. We consider the health and safety risks associated with my field work or overseas travel to be low and no further assessment is required. For example lecturing, attending conferences, visiting colleagues, high profile meetings or desk based research in the UK, Northern America or the European Union. I will adopt sensible travel precautions. Please sign and submit to DSO.

Medium Risk We consider there to be some risks associated with my field work or overseas travel and/or the country/ies that I am visiting. I therefore enclose a completed Risk Assessment form (Part II). I have checked the FCO advice and there are no warnings against travel.

High Risk We have checked the FCO advice and there are warnings against travel to the country/ies or areas I am visiting or this is a high risk activity. I therefore enclose a completed Risk Assessment form (Section Two) and where the FCO advises against travel, supporting information in regards to these warnings (Section Three).

Remember to report any accidents, incidents and near misses that occur while you are away via your supervisor

For completion by the DPhil Supervisor; or by the PI if the applicant is not the PI of the grant funding the travel or fieldwork:

By signing below, you are confirming:
(a) that the proposed travel or fieldwork is an approved and/or funded part of this applicant’s research; and
(b) that you agree with the initial assessment of risk.
If the activity or the location are considered medium or high risk, the rest of this risk assessment form must be completed before being attached to the on-line travel insurance application.
Signature: Date:
Name (please print): Supervisor/PI (please delete as applicable)

It is acceptable to submit this form with an electronic signature or a covering e-mail of approval. Both must be uploaded when the Travel Insurance application is made.

PART II

DETAILED RISK ASSESSMENT (required for all travel or activity that is deemed to be medium or high risk)

  • Consider the risks to which you may be subject to during your work and for those that are applicable, give details of any measures you will be taking to minimise these.
  • For each possible area of risk, examples are provided as guidance. You must consider all significant potential causes of harm and detail the relevant controls that will be implemented.
  • It is important that you provide sufficient detail, in relation to the risk, as the risk assessment may be reviewed by other persons.

Issue / Risks and control measures
Documentation
e.g. have you checked that you have all the documents you need to work in the area, and have left copies of your passport and visas and an itinerary in the UK. Are you taking out University insurance? Does your insurance cover you for everything you may need, and do you have a copy of the policy with you, including the contact telephone number?
Transport
e.g. is your flight by the safest available means, Have you prearranged your airport pick up? Will your flight arrive during daylight hours? How will you travel within the country, will you drive or be driven, will you be travelling alone at night, or in remote areas, what spares/supplies might you need, are there any local travel problems you may encounter? Are the vehicles suitable for the purpose and the providers reputable?
Security
e.g. Will you be travelling alone? If so what precautions will you take? Is your accommodation secure and in a safe area, do you need any specific training before leave, have you checked on the local traditions, culture, political situation, areas to avoid, business hours, do you need to carry cash with you and will you have access to funds while abroad, do you need to register with a local authority on arrival, have you got spare copies of your documents with you, or facilities to take care of your possessions, how will you get money & help if you are the victim of robbery?
Fieldwork/Activity Risks
e.g. Do you have any experience of this type of travel and work? If you are conducting interviews how will the interviews be arranged, are you interviewing in a public place, could your questions or request for information cause offence or put you or your subject in danger, are you interviewing a controversial figure who may attract attention? Are you aware of the appropriate dress for the area, will you be working alone. Will someone be informed of your whereabouts and estimated time of return, if you fail to return within a reasonable time what action will be taken by your local contacts, are you aware of any site safety rules?
Ethical issues (see
If your research involves human participants, does your project have Ethics Committee approval?
If your research involves the collection of personal or sensitive data, or the collection of data or information through interviews with other people, have you established whether or not ethics approval is required?
Health and medication issues
e.g. are there any health alerts for the area, do you need any special medication and will this be available, do you need any vaccinations or anti malaria medication, and if so have you had these in good time, do you need to carry a first aid/sterile pack, have you consulted the University Occupational Health Service, if you have any health issues have you checked you are fit to travel?
Food and Drink
e.g. is the water safe to drink, will you have access to ‘safe’ water and food supplies?
Communication
e.g. will you be able to communicate via mobile phone, will you have signal in the area(s) you are visiting, be able to recharge your battery, will you report regularly to local colleagues (e.g. daily), or supervisor/family at home, what happens if they do not hear from you or if you misplace/have your phone stolen? Please outline arrangements for keeping in contact with your supervisor
Contingency plans
e.g. can you access first aid or medical treatment, do you have escape/evacuation routes planned in case of local disturbances, severe illness or injury? How will you contact your supervisor in an emergency?
Other risks
Are there any other risks associated with where you are going what you will be doing and how you will get there? e.g. Consider the FCO advice and any advice issued by your own country if you are not a UK citizen (please also complete next section if the FCO has posted any specific advice about the area/country you are visiting). Are there any environmental issues or risks from wildlife?
Have you considered the emotional impact your fieldwork might have on you, for example distressing topic area or culture shock issues?

Part III

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE ADVICE – to be completed if additional advice has been posted on the FCO website

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Advice – continue on separate sheet if necessary
Advice posted by the FCO website

How does this advice relate to your planned activities? What is the justification for travelling? Do you have any local knowledge of the current situation(s)? On what basis do you consider that the FCO advice can be tempered? What controls/actions are you putting in place to minimise the risks highlighted by the FCO?
Crisis management, e.g. what actions will you take following a serious incident or significant change in the situation, what is your emergency plan in the event of needing to leave the country?
Signature of Applicant: Date:
PI/Supervisor/Director comments:
PI/Supervisor/Director signature: Date:
Head of Administration and Finance (Faculty Safety Officer) comments:
Signature of Head of Administration and Finance (Faculty Safety Officer): Date:
And, if required:
Signature of Dean of the Faculty of Law: Date:
Referred to Safety office:

It is acceptable to submit this form with an electronic signature or a covering e-mail of approval. Both must be uploaded when the Travel Insurance application is made.

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[1] e.g. for students a copy of the travel grant application