HSE at Fieldwork, Research cruises and Group trips

The Travel Administrator has been appointed as administrative support for the Line Manager/Academic leader/Tour leader, and is responsible for registration and follow-up of fieldwork, cruises, and group travel.

Before departure, fieldwork, research cruises, and group trips must be registered to keep track of planned and ongoing trips.

This includes information about the Academic leader/Tour leader, updated participant lists with contact and next-of-kin information to enable communication with those traveling if needed.

Until a new system is in place, the travel and next-of-kin overview will be maintained locally.

All travel must be pre-approved by the line manager and must, as far as practicable, be booked through UiB's travel agency supplier.

Both employees and students:

• Should ensure that the Travel Administrator at their unit is informed about their travel.
• Shall register information about next of kin and contact information prior to travel.
  • Students: Next-of-kin information must be registered in Studentweb.
  • Employees: Register relative information and mobile number in the Self-service Portal. Under "Working conditions", choose "My information", "Add family/contact persons" and "Add new phone number". 
• Shall respond to digital information received in connection with the trip.
• Should participate in mapping and assessment of risks related to HSE. 
• Shall follow the safety routines and local adjustments required to carry out the fieldwork/research cruise/group trip in accordance with sound HSE principles.
• Has an independent responsibility to assess the safety of the activity, make necessary adjustments and, if necessary, stop the activity for safety reasons.
• Has an obligation to inform the Academic leader or the Tour leader of health-related and other factors that may have significance for safety in connection with the fieldwork/research cruise/group trip.
• Shall, in the event of an emergency situation, notify according to the local emergency plan, which must be prepared before departure.

Employees who travel can be covered by insurance through special state agreements or the credit card company. Read more about travel insurance for employees on UiB’s website.

Students do not have their own insurance scheme through UiB because state educational institutions are not permitted to purchase insurance on behalf of students. The state is considered self-insured.

If students wish to have the same insurance coverage as university employees, they must purchase their own travel and personal injury insurance. Read more about insurance options for students on UiB’s website (NO).

Risk assessment and emergency preparedness

Fieldwork, research cruises and group trips may involve an increased risk of injury to people. The Academic leader (or tour leader) must ensure that, prior to departure, an HSE risk assessment is carried out to identify potential hazards. The same is recommended for other types of group travel.

In the HSE risk assessment, activities that may pose a risk to people, the environment, and equipment must be identified:

• During travel to and from fieldwork/research cruise/group trip
• While fieldwork/research cruise/group trip is in progress
• In connection with the conclusion of fieldwork/research cruise/group trip

This checklist can be used to determine which risks are relevant for each fieldwork, research cruise, and group trip.

Once the risks have been identified and assessed, measures must be implemented to reduce them.

A local emergency preparedness plan for each fieldwork, research cruise, or group trip, as well as notification procedures, must be prepared prior to departure.

If unexpected potentially hazardous tasks arise during fieldwork, research cruise, or group trip, it is recommended to carry out a Safe Job Analysis (SJA).

Health Services

If the HSE risk assessment indicates an increased risk of illness or injury, UiB offers a consultation with healthcare personnel from the Occupational Health Service.

Such a consultation will help assess:

• Need for vaccination 
• Need for a health certificate (Seaman's certificate, offshore certificate, diver’s certificate)
• Health status prior to fieldwork (assessment of the participant’s overall health, physical and mental, where challenging conditions can be expected)
• Illnesses and allergies
• Proximity and quality of local healthcare services

The occupational health service also provides information about ergonomics during fieldwork and research cruises on its website.

Contact the Occupational Health Service at bht@uib.no (Note: Do not send confidential personal information by email.)

HSE cooperation and coordination agreements

Where employees with different employers or students from different educational institutions participate in joint fieldwork/research cruises/group trips, it must be decided in advance which employer/institution is responsible for coordination (principal undertaking) with responsibility for coordinating HSE work for joint fieldwork/research cruises/group trips. Each organization remains responsible for its own activities and its own HSE.

For locally established HSE coordination agreements, contact the faculty/department.

Safety Delegate

The unit’s elected Safety Delegate also serves as the safety representative for participants in fieldwork, research cruises, or group travel if no local safety representative has been appointed.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Utenriksdepartementet (MFA/UD)

On the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ travel information pages (NO), you will find information about countries with which Norway has diplomatic relations, as well as an overview of the services and types of assistance Norwegian citizens traveling abroad can expect from the foreign service.

Reiseregistrering.no (NO), is a travel registration service that allows travelers to register their contact information with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the event of a serious incident, the MFA will be able to send you information via SMS or email. Note: This registration with the MFA is voluntary and provides extra security, but you must still register your trip with UiB via the Travel Administrator before departure. This is necessary for UiB to ensure HSE and emergency preparedness for you as an employee or student.

Norwegian Institute of Public Health/Folkehelseinstituttet (NIPH/FHI)

NIPH’s website Travel health advice provides advice on preventing infections and illness before, during, and after travel. Here you can find an overview of infection control recommendations and relevant vaccines for different destinations.

Sikresiden/On the Safe Side

Sikresiden.no (EN) provides easy-to-understand safety and emergency preparedness information for employees and students, including what to consider before traveling and what to do if something happens during the trip.