Field Research Safety

Field research involves conducting experiments while in the natural environment of the subjects being studied. The resources needed to assess hazards and organize field experiments can be found here.

Planning

Plan early for research in the field, whether research is on Cornell properties or international, creating a field safety plan that assesses the research for potential hazards is important. There are different hazards that research in the field presents. On your field safety plan, you should include contact information for those going on your trip, emergency contacts, a description of the procedure in the field, how you will be getting to and accessing the site, and local locations for food, restrooms, and lodging. Materials brought to the field, including chemicals should be brought back as surplus and then evaluated and classified as waste if no longer needed. 

• To begin a research proposal visit Research Services 
• To stay organized in the field researchers should use the field safety plan
• To see regulations on traveling with chemicals check DOT materials of trade

Training

There is field-specific training available that can help you when dealing with accidents and hazards in the field such as pesticides, animals, and emergency situations. 

• Classes in Outdoor education and wilderness medicine are available through Cornell outdoor education. 
• Classes in First Aid can be found through CU learn or CALS OEH.
• Anyone conducting agricultural research in the field and will come in contact with plants sprayed with pesticides within the last thirty days must take Worker protection training
• Additional opportunities for training can be found at CU learn and on the CALS OEH page

University emergency contacts

Emergency contacts should include the researchers in the field, campus contacts, emergency services, and local contacts.  

• For information on specific emergency situations visit Cornell Emergency management

Incident reporting

Any incidents or near misses, even if they happen off-campus, should be reported through Cority    

Travel

Whether the travel is domestic or abroad, Cornell has resources you can use to plan your trip and make sure you have all permissions necessary before you travel. You should take note of any current travel restrictions including import and export restrictions.  The method of travel (plane, car, boat) should be noted on your travel plans.

International SOS provides 24/7 medical, mental health, and security support and evacuation services to eligible Cornell students, staff, faculty, and academics abroad. If you are going to a remote, High Risk, or Extreme Risk location, please reach out to ISOS for a briefing specific to your itinerary by calling +1 215 942 8478 or email Philadelphia@internationalsos.com for non-urgent requests (Note: ISOS typically responds to emails within 72 hours). Additionally, please reach out to the Office of Risk Management and Insurance for more information on if there is insurance coverage for your trip.

• For domestic travel, please refer to the Office of Risk Management and Insurance 
• For international travel, questions visit Cornell Global travel 
• for specific questions about restricted destinations, and what you can hand-carry or ship to international locations visit export controls.
• If you are abroad and have concerns or an incident you need help with visit Cornell Emergencies Abroad