Carrying the Moral Burden of Safe Fieldwork

Abstract

Fieldwork in ecology and the environmental sciences often leads to negative physical and emotional outcomes for workers. I argue that this is largely due to an abdication of responsibility on the part of their supervisors, and that supervisors are charged with carrying three interlinked moral burdens: first, the duty of promoting safety; second, the duty of ensuring safe experiences are accessible to all; and third, the duty of continuing to learn and improve. To help, I offer a set of safety actions that supervisors can easily implement. I then offer a set of personal reflections on how we should think about failure, accountability, learning, repair, and forgiveness in the scientific workplace.

Ten simple rules for implementing a successful field season

“…A daily check-in system with someone who is not in the field [ 7 , 20 ] is a critical aspect of field safety. At a minimum, field crews should report the locations in which they are working each day and their expected return time to their check-in contact; once home safely, they should relay that information to their contact who should confirm receipt.…”

“…Using a visual management approach can be especially useful for planning multiple tasks that must be completed within a similar timeframe and quickly detecting issues related to the timing of events. Lead researchers should schedule time at the beginning of the field season for crew orientation and training, including safety training (see Rules 3 and 5) and informal interactions for crew members to provide a welcoming atmosphere and foster team cohesion [4][5][6][7]. Providing extra time to complete tasks early in the season also allows flexibility, troubleshooting, and the ability to change directions which often is needed when implementing a new project (see Rule 9) [8].…”

“…When working on a project for the first time, crew members often face a steep learning curve, and we have found that developing a project handbook facilitates onboarding, clarifies expectations, and helps promote consistent data collection throughout a field season. In particular, our experience indicates that crew handbooks are most valuable when they are comprehensive and include (1) an overview of the research being undertaken; (2) the expectations for working safely and safety protocols (see Rule 5); (3) detailed research protocols (see Rule 3); (4) a checklist of required and recommended field equipment; (5) general daily and seasonal work schedules; (6) a section of frequently asked questions and their answers; (7) information about the safety check-in protocol being used (see Rule 5); and (8) a directory of project contacts, including emergency services. Lead researchers should send an electronic version of the handbook to crew members before the field season so they can familiarize themselves with the project's goals, data collection protocols, and required gear.…”