Field safety

 

 

  • Prepare for field work and make safety plans.

  • Find resources for addressing issues in the field.

  • Watch field safety trainings.

Helper

For questions about field safety, reach out to your PI or instaaradmin@colorado.edu. 

students look on as an instructor teaches someone to stabilize a person's spine after an accident on a green lawn outside a brick building

Participants learn how to stabilize a patient's spine during an INSTAAR Wilderness First Aid Course in 2025. (Gabe Allen)

Overview

Many students and researchers at INSTAAR visit places near and far each year to conduct scientific research. Before a field season, principal investigators should develop and communicate clear safety and incident management plans with their team. During and after the season, each team member is responsible for ensuring the safety of the group and resolving issues as they arise.

Below are links to resources and best practices for staying safe in the field.

ADVANCEing FieldSafety Program

ADVANCEing FieldSafety (formerly FieldSafe) offers online training courses on building safe and inclusive field teams. Their FieldSafety Toolkit and online course provides knowledge and resources on risk evaluation, communication, cultural awareness, and more.

Safety at the Mountain Research Station (MRS)

Check out the MRS’ guidance for high-altitude fieldwork, including lightning safety, altitude sickness, wildlife encounters, and evacuation routes.

Wilderness First Aid (WFA) Course

INSTAAR and the Niwot Ridge LTER host a Wilderness First Aid class (WFA) at least once a year. The class follows a NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) Wilderness Medicine curriculum and provides a certification lasting two years. Topics covered include patient assessment, emergency and evacuation plans, spine injury, head injury, shock, wilderness wound management, musculoskeletal injury, heat illness, cold injury, lightning, altitude illness, medical patients, and anaphylaxis. Read more about the NOLS course.  

Emails will be distributed to the instaars-local list serv each time a course becomes available, so keep an eye on your inbox.

Safe Fieldwork Strategies (Nature)

This safety article in Nature recommends strategies to minimize risk for all individuals conducting fieldwork.  

Field Safety Leadership Training

Check out these safety webinars from the University of California for different trainings in field safety.

Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S)

CU Boulder's EH&S’ Field Research Safety page includes a Field Safety Plan Template, fact sheets, and guidance for developing comprehensive safety plans for fieldwork.

University Risk Management (URM) 

If you are an employee of the university and are hurt while doing your job, you may file a workers comp claim with URM. If you have questions about this, feel free to reach out to instaarpay@colorado.edu.  

Addressing Problematic Behavior

Visit INSTAAR’s website for more resources on how to address or report problematic behavior.