In accordance with requirements to manage and supervise health and safety, and to keep policies and risk assessments under review, each research Department should develop processes to ensure ongoing monitoring of the health and safety of offsite workers, together with a formal post-fieldwork feedback facility:

  1. All accidents, illness and near misses must be reported to the PI and on Salus as soon as practical.
  2. Departments must review offsite work processes and procedures regularly and/or following an incident.
  3. The College Offsite work Health & Safety Policy should be reviewed regularly and include a mechanism to benefit from the experience of those who undertake extensive offsite work as part of their role.
  4. An appropriate level of monitoring of health and safety arrangements must be an ongoing process during offsite work, and procedures must be adapted and documents, instructions etc. updated as necessary
  5. Where appropriate hold a post-offsite work debrief meeting, or other formal review, to capture any recommendations for improvement.


Considerations that would indicate a need for a formal review would include:

  • Significant accidents or near-misses
  • Occasions where dynamic risk assessments were needed
  • There was a significant change to plans or itineraries
  • Where unexpected training was needed during the offsite work

Whilst actions following investigation during the offsite work normally focus on immediate cause and effect and on continuity issues, reviews should focus on potential shortcomings in planning, processes and procedures, and in management of the offsite work.