Health and Safety Reporting
- Students should report incidents, injuries and observations to the Student Contact Centre or via their academic supervisor as soon as possible.
- To assist with the identification of the person involved, please also include their Staff/Student ID number and a contact phone number (if known) in the “What Happened” section.
Fieldwork
Section updated: February 2023
A field activity is defined as “any off-campus work carried out for the purpose of teaching, research or representing the University off-site, including site visits and reconnaissance trips”. It does not include working from home. Any time you wish to undertake field work or a site visit you need to complete a Field Activity Plan and have it approved by your Supervisor/PI/Line Manager. For site visits, a Field Activity Plan is required whenever participants health and safety is not managed by another institution. The University has a responsibility under legislation to ensure that health and safety is a key consideration in the planning and operation of field activities, and that such activities are carried out in an environmentally responsible manner.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, recognises that participation, leadership, and accountability are essential to ensuring that everyone gets home safe. In cases of serious negligence or recklessness, the HSWA allows for penalties of up to five years imprisonment or fines of up to $3M (information here). Field activity leaders and approving supervisors are responsible for ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of participants is maintained at all times while on a field activity as well as guaranteeing compliance with legislation and University policy.
Your plan must be assessed by the Technical Manager (or delegate) before being passed on to your Supervisor/PI/Line Manager for final approval. The Technical Manager will either accept the plan or return it to you with recommendations for improvement. When assigning your University contact, you must remember to ask the person first and check if they are available. The use of private vehicles for University work is only approved in exceptional circumstances, and the vehicle must have current full/comprehensive insurance cover, warrant of fitness etc. Please discuss this with the Technical Manager ahead of time. Generally private vehicles are not approved for field activity outside of Auckland.
Some field activities are inherently high risk due to the work environment or the nature of the work undertaken. The University takes a risk-based approach to the management of such activities, expecting that planning is thorough and robust, appropriate procedures and equipment are used, and participants are fully briefed and/or trained in advance.
Examples of field activity include:
- Groups of staff, students and contractors who travel off campus as part of a University course of study (undergraduate or postgraduate)
- Groups of staff, students and contractors who travel off campus as part of a University research project, and are intending to visit or work at locations that are not governed by University of Auckland health and safety policies and controls
- Staff and students engaged in research off campus
Field activity does not include:
- Approved travel to conferences (with University travel insurance coverage) where participants can be expected to be responsible for their own wellbeing
- Activities based at established University facilities, which are covered by the University Health and Safety Policy
- Study that is part of a University of Auckland Study Abroad programme or elective courses taken at other institutions
- Local and international off-campus placements of students and staff
- Placements and work experience
High risk field activities (ref: UoA HSW Field Activity Planning Guidance – section 4.4.1)
Some field activities are inherently high risk due to the nature of the activity, the remoteness of the location, or the harshness and volatility of the environment. These conditions can potentially cause serious injury, ill-health or life-threatening situations. Such conditions do not always prevent the field activity taking place, but they signal that thorough preparation, comprehensive risk assessments and robust emergency planning must be carried out beforehand. Staff and participants must be trained, and demonstrate competency with operational procedures and fitness for the work they will undertake. High risk field activities can only be approved if all control measures have been applied.
Examples of field activities that are defined as inherently “high risk” include:
- Handling of dangerous or venomous animals
- Interacting with people who have extreme behavioural issues
- Marine activities such as boating, kayaking, snorkelling, scuba diving
- Off-road driving
- Operating heavy machinery
- Working alone in rural or remote areas
- Working in alpine, volcanic, geothermal, underground, rough terrain, dense bush and forestry environments
- Working in areas with a high crime/violence rate
- Working in or around coastal, sea shore, estuary, beach, mudflat, lake, river and storm water environments
- Working on industrial sites i.e. mines, quarries
- Working with hazardous chemicals or live electricity
See also:
📄 University of Auckland Code of Conduct
📄 University of Auckland field activity information
📄 University of Auckland Field Activity Planning Guide
📄 University of Auckland Field Operations Guide
✅ Environment Field Activity Approval Process
📄 Field trip Budget Application
Chemical purchasing
- SciTrack is the University purchasing system for chemicals and consumables. SciTrack is also used for equipment purchases from certain suppliers.
- SciTrack (previously SciQuest ERM) is the University inventory management and procurement tool for all chemicals and biologicals, and most lab consumables, including hazardous and restricted materials.
- SciTrack is used by staff or postgraduate students who work in laboratories that use chemicals.
- All purchases are approved by a Designated Laboratory Person (DLP) before they are placed.
- In ENV there are three DLPs.
- Blair Sowman
- Natalia Abrego
- Andres Arcila
- In ENV there are three DLPs.
- NOTE: It can take quite a bit of time to get the correct items, generate a PO, assign the correct charge codes and order the items for you. Several weeks notice will make this process smoother for everyone.
If you have any questions about SciTrack then please discuss these with the Technical Manager.
Driving assessments and ENV vehicles
- You will need to undergo a driving assessment if you wish to drive any of the School vehicles. Assessments are undertaken by an instructor and booked through the Technical Manager and there is no cost to you.
- The School has a fleet of vehicles to use which includes 1x Ute, 1x Van, 1x 7-seater SUV and 1x 5-seater SUV (hybrid).
- All of the vehicles have automatic transmissions and can be booked through CarScience. Vehicles have fuel cards and are billed against the charge code you supply when making the booking.
- General vehicle information from the University’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Service can be found here
Lab/workshop/facility access
- Standard building access to our spaces is Monday-Friday between 7.30am and 6.00pm.
- Inductions for General Facilities, Chemistry and Geochemical Laboratories, Earth Science Processing (ESP), Electron microprobe (EPMA), X-Ray Laboratories (XRF, Prep, and Itrax) and the Transitional Facility can be found in the School’s induction course
- To request access to the inductions, please send an email to the Techincal Manager, please include your UPI.
- Inductions are not required for the MDLs, Teaching Computer labs, Ontology Lab, Multi-Use Lab or Geocomputational Lab. Swipe access to the MDLs is available to teaching staff and assistants on request (complete the Access Request Form).
- The labs are always locked and you will need a key or swipe permission to access them. The Technical Manager signs off these forms.
- If you are applying for access to a lab or workshop, please have a valid reason why.
- General laboratory safety information can be found here
- If your research involves importing samples (especially plants, soil, water, and animals) collected outside New Zealand, you must discuss your intentions with the Technical Manager prior to importation. This will allow us to assist with any quarantine arrangements, should this be necessary. Any samples obtained through unofficial import channels (including in hand luggage) will be confiscated and reported to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), in line with Biosecurity Standard 154.02.17.
Lab and workshop access – after hours
- Working in a laboratory or workshop after 6pm (or on weekends) may require additional approval. Complete Section 1 of the after-hours work application and submit to the Technical Manager for review. NOTE: Not all activities are allowed to be conducted after-hours.
Afterhours access has to comply with Access to University Facilities Policy.
Please follow the Link to apply for Access to Facilities during Closure Period, this covers all proposed activities in our research spaces outside working hours and never during No-access time (Midnight – 5 am)
Granting of approval will be based on:
Some spaces will require supervision regardless the level of risk of the activity because they are HASNO approved facilities (Hazardous Substances and New Organisms) or moderate to high risk spaces.
The following table shows the labs and the distribution of the risk by activity of the space. A list of activities ranked by risk is available in (Link to the document after steering committee approval).
The activities in red will be out of bounds except under extenuating circumstances and will require extra controls for their approval. Yellow will require supervision as conditions for granting permission, activities in green can be approved with no supervision. These will be also subjected to first aiders and fire warden requirements by university.
Contents
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to complete a Field Activity Plan?
The short answer is yes.
- Field activity is any work carried out for the purpose of teaching, research or representing the University off-site, where facility for health and safety is not managed by another host institution on their premises. Travel to work at another institution or field event organised by someone else still requires a Field Activity Plan covering the travel period.
- Any time you wish to undertake field work you need to complete a Field Activity Plan and have it signed off by the appropriate people.
- The Technical Manager also needs to review H&S documentation from other institutions for both work on their premises and offsite (field work). We need to make sure they are covering the same information required by UoA rules and policies.
How do I get access, or get my students access to labs?
- Anyone who wants access to a School laboratory or workshop needs to complete the appropriate inductions and discuss their requirements with the Technician-in-Charge for the space. ENV Inductions are all available online through the Canvas course below; equipment training will need to be organised with the relevant technician directly.
- Inductions for General Facilities, Chemistry and Geochemical Laboratories, Earth Science Processing (ESP), Electron microprobe (EPMA), X-Ray Laboratories (XRF, Preparation, Itrax) and the transitional facility can be found at https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/16362
- To request access to the Canvas course, please send an email to the Technical Manager, with your UPI.
Can you buy me X [chemical, consumable, piece of equipment]?
- Most of the time we can.
- If you are using a grant or project code you need to find out if your items can be charged to the account. If they can then let one of the technical staff know what you need; you will need to provide the cost centre and project code along with a quote if you can. The School generally will not purchase items for funded research from its own budgets.
- All chemicals need to be purchased through the University SciTrack system. This can only be done by a DLP (Blair Sowman, Natalia Abrego or Andres Arcila).
- For equipment, if the cost is over $5,000 (normal items) or $1,000 (computer-related items) then a CapEx request will need to be put through. CapEx purchases are normally called for in March/April for purchases in the following year.
- There are also several p-cards in the department which can be used to purchase items from suppliers who are not in the University system. For suppliers who are in the system, then a purchase order must be raised, we will not use P-cards for these purchases unless there is urgency. Technical staff can assist with this.
- Students, if you wish to purchase from your MSc or PRESS account then your request should go through your supervisor first.
Can I book a School vehicle?
- School vehicles can be booked and driven by staff and postgraduate students.
- School vehicles can only be used for approved University business, not personal use.
- You will need to undergo a driving assessment if you wish to drive any of the School vehicles. Assessments are booked through the Technical Manager. If you have any students who you think will need to use an ENV vehicle get them booked in early, it can often be several weeks until an assessment spot is available.
- The use of private vehicles for University work is only approved in exceptional circumstances for travel within the Auckland Region. If you wish to use a private vehicle then you need gain approval from the Technical Manager first. The vehicle must be fit for purpose, have minimum third-party insurance, have a current warrant of fitness and a current vehicle licence. Also note that when using a private vehicle the University provides no insurance cover. You need to ensure that your own insurance actually covers you when using it for University work; not all insurance agents will. Also, there is no insurance cover for University equipment left unattended in a private vehicle, so you will be financially liable for its replacement.
- The School has a fleet of vehicles to use which includes 1x Ute, 1x Van, 1x 7-seater SUV and 1x 5-seater SUV (hybrid). Vehicles each have two fuel cards and running costs are billed against the charge code you supply when making the booking. Be aware the fuel cards have PIN numbers, ensure you obtain this from the Facilities Co-ordinator before departure.
- All of the vehicles have automatic transmissions and can be booked through https://carscience.fos.auckland.ac.nz, however, you will need to have passed an ENV driving assessment (booked through the Technical Manager) and in most cases an approved Field Activity Plan.
Do I have to report all near misses, accidents and incidents; even if it’s just a scratch?
- YES, YOU DO!
- Staff can report online: General information and incident reporting
- Students should report incidents to the Student Contact Centre or their academic supervisor.
- Before you report a health and safety incident or injury:
- Students/staff: Have you informed the person in charge of the field activity/laboratory/facility?
- Staff: have you informed your line manager or academic leader?
- Any incident, injury, illness or related health and safety concern at the University of Auckland must be reported if they occur:
- On campus
- At a UoA Controlled entity [eg Offsite Store]
- At a “Work from Home space”, if the incident is work related
- Or while taking part in any University-sanctioned activity or field-trip (including when overseas or during maritime work)
- These include:
- Injuries or illnesses
- Incidents or near-misses with potential for harm to persons
- Health and Safety Observations (Safe/Positive or Unsafe/Hazardous)
- Gradual process injuries such as OOS-related diagnosis, noise-induced hearing loss or dermatitis (where an actual injury date may be difficult to determine). Note that you should record these injuries when you first notice the symptoms or suspect you have them.
- Any time you have sought treatment from a medical provider for an injury that may be deemed work related (eg doctor, physio)
What hours are the labs in the School open?
- Standard laboratory hours are Monday-Friday between 7.30am and 6.00pm. Closed weekends and public/University holidays.
- Some labs may have varying hours and these are displayed on the doors to each lab.
- Technical assistance will also vary within these times.
- Those who want to work in a laboratory space after 6pm or on weekends need to complete an after-hours access application. Complete Section 1 and submit to the Techincal Manager for review. Note that not all activities are allowed to be conducted after-hours.
Who looks after which lab and the equipment/instruments within ENV labs?
See attached. You can also look through some of the equipment we have on offer in the ENV labs here.
