These are guidelines for students and employees who are working in the field. If you have to do fieldwork alone, you should follow the guideline Fieldwork - for leaders.

Norsk versjon - Retningslinje for HMS ved feltarbeid

Topic page about HSE | Pages labelled with fieldwork

What is fieldwork?

Fieldwork means that students and employees collect data or perform practical tasks in their field of study. Fieldwork is done outside of NTNU's ordinary work and teaching environment.

These guidelines also apply to field courses, research cruises (fieldwork performed on a ship or boat), student projects outside of NTNU's campuses, site visits and other field trips.

Ordinary business trips do not count as fieldwork.

Participants

Employees and students who travel to the field together should:

• Familiarize themselves with the details of the work and the risks in the field.
• Participate in training before the fieldwork starts.
• Fill out a field card | Fill out a field card (html-form, only for Faculty of medicine) | Fill out a field card (for NTNU University Museum) | Field card Faculty of Engineering
• Bring your own information about the fieldwork. The leader should distribute this before the work begins.
• Consider informing the field leader if you have diseases or allergies that may require special precautions. This might include allergies, hypoglycaemia, epilepsy or other conditions.
• Follow the instructions of the field leader.
• Contribute to fixing problems and stopping dangerous activities during work.
• Inform the field leader about accidents and other unwanted events during work.

To bring with you (if applicable)

• Medical certificate
• Medication list
• Vaccination certificate
• European health insurance card (for fieldwork in EEA countries and Switzerland)
• Insurance certificate
• Proof of completed training
• Work permit
• Diving certificate
• Crane operator certification
• Passport
• Visa
• Resident permits

NTNU University Museum has its own field clothing.

Field cards

Field card for participants (pdf) - Field card for participants (docx)
Field card for participants (html-form, only for Faculty of medicine)
Field card for participants at NTNU University Museum | Field card for participants at NTNU Department of Energy and Process Engineering

Everyone participating in the fieldwork should fill out a field card with personal data and contact information. The exception to this is if the risk assessment shows that the fieldwork doesn't involve any particular risks. The field leader should inform everyone of this.

The fieldwork is considered over for the participants when they are no longer following the travel plan at the end of the trip.

If you are planning a private trip in conjunction with the fieldwork, you should fill out your travel information including the date and time of return on the field card.

Drug use

Being under the influence of drugs during working hours is not accepted.

Insurance

Students

Students are covered for occupational injuries by the national insurance, if these injuries occur at the place of education during teaching, as long as the student is a part of the national insurance system. During fieldwork, the students are as a rule not covered outside of teaching hours. See more information about insurance for students.

Students are recommended to purchase their own insurance. NTNU does not have insurance for students, cf Regulations for governmental financial management §20, and NTNU will not refund expenses students may incur related to insurance premiums.

Employees

Employees who are doing fieldwork are subject to a special government travel agreement. See the governmental employee handbook 9.2.12 §12 and 9.3.13 §13. For more information on the occupational injury coverage and group life insurance for public employees, see the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, insurance.

Working hours, wages, time off system, etc.

Working hours, wages, time off system, etc. is regulated by Special agreement for fieldwork at NTNU (in Norwegian) and Special agreement for short-term appointments to fieldworks at NTNU (in Norwegian).

International local emergency numbers

NTNU has an emergency preparedness agreement with the Norwegian Church Abroad. The Norwegian Church Abroad has created an app with emergency numbers all over the world. The app uses mobile networks and GPS to position the user. You can also add information about your insurance provider and contact information to next of kin and employer. The app is available for iPhone, Android and Windows phones.

The app is free and can be found by searching for "sjømannskirken" or "nødnummer" in your app store. For more information, see the Norwegian Church Abroad's webpages (in Norwegian).

Accidents

Contact local emergency services for emergency help. In Norway, use the emergency numbers 110, 112 and 113. These numbers can't be used outside the country or via satellite phones. If you're using a satellite phone in Norway, contact the Medical Emergency Communication Central in Sør-Trøndelag at +47 73 51 80 00.

Field participants should contact the field leader as soon as possible in the event of an accident.

If you are unable to contact the leader, call +47 800 80 388. This is NTNU's emergency preparedness phone, which is covered by Securitas. Note that Securitas will call you back from the number +47 22 57 73 00.

The Norwegian Church Abroad can help students and employees abroad. The Norwegian Church Abroad has a 24-hour emergency phone: +47 95 11 91 81.

If a participant has an accident, the police or NTNU should alert the next of kin. The field leader or other participants should not notify the next of kin!

Help

• Official travel advice (in Norwegian) - the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Digital maps of risky areas in Norway - Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection
• Risk, vulnerability and preparedness - Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection
• Safe travels - safety tips for delegations and companions travelling internationally - the Police's Security Service
• Spending time out of the country - the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration
• Travel vaccines - Norwegian Institute of Public Health
• Pregnant, newborns and breast-feeding (risk assessment and preventive measures) (in Norwegian) - the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority
• the County Governor of Trøndelag
• the Norwegian Polar Institute
• Customs
• Guidelines for governmental fieldwork - the Norwegian Ministry of Government Administration, Reform and Church Affairs
• NTNU University Museum official field clothing

NTNU regulations

• Field card for participants (docx) /Field card for participants (pdf)
• Emergency Preparedness
• Risk assessment
• Report problems and discrepancies
• The laboratory and workshop handbook
• Waste
• Hazardous waste
• HSE process

Legislation

• The Working Environment Act
  • Chapter 2 Duties of employer and employees
  • Chapter 3 Working environment measures
  • Chapter 4 Requirements regarding the working environment
• Regulations concerning Organisation, Management and Employee Participation (in Norwegian)
  • Chapter 2 Participation of employees or their representatives
  • Chapter 7 Risk assessments
  • Chapter 8 Training
  • Chapter 9 Information to employees
  • Chapter 10 Planning, facilitation of the work and safe operations
  • Chapter 11 Work instructions
• Regulations concerning the Performance of Work (in Norwegian)
  • Chapter 11 Facilitating use of work equipment
  • Chapter 17 Work at height
  • Chapter 19 Working with mobile equipment
  • Chapter 21 Excavation work
  • Chapter 30 Risk of avalanches in occupancy areas and work areas
• Regulations concerning transportation of hazardous goods (in Norwegian)
• Regulations concerning work hours for drivers and other workers in the road transport sector (in Norwegian)
• The Road Traffic Act (in Norwegian)

Contact information

• The field leader (for concrete questions about your fieldtrip)
• HSE coordinator (for questions about field work in your unit)
• Margunn Losnegard Karlsen, occupational health nurse (for questions about vaccinations, first aid, and first aid equipment)
• Bjørg Aadahl, occupational physician (for questions about prescription drugs)
• Arve Johansen, HSE advisor
• Ann Kristin Sjaastad, occupational hygienist
• The unit for health, welfare and infection control in Trondheim commune
• NTNU's research vessel R/V Gunnerus

Approval/signature

Approved by Director of HSE - 6 August 2015 - HMSR61E - ePhorte 2016/3901