The Baseline - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 369

designed and equipped for the purpose may be taken out to the open sea. A radio trans-
ceiver should be provided for vessels going more than two nautical miles offshore. Only
licensed and appropriately trained personnel should be in charge of boats. Boats must be
driven with caution and attention to prevailing conditions. Navigation skills may also be
required. Only those personnel necessary and trained for the i eldwork may be carried in
boats. The minimum size of a boating i eldwork party is two and at least one must be a
competent swimmer.
Before setting out on boating trips, check prevailing and predicted weather conditions.
Boat trips should not be undertaken in poor weather (e.g. high winds or rough seas) or
when poor weather is predicted over the period of the planned trip. Even when good
weather is predicted, changing weather should be anticipated in planning the trip. Prior to
setting out, the vessel should be checked for safety equipment, personal l otation devices,
fully charged battery, correct fuel mix, spare plugs, cotter pins, anchor, and a small bucket
for bailing.
Partly due to safety considerations, off-shore surveys tend to be expensive ( Case 8.5 ).
Delays to i eldwork due to bad weather will cost money. Standby costs of vessels are substan-
tial and can accumulate to large amounts. Nevertheless, safety comes i rst. Proper planning
and costing should allow for delays due to adverse weather conditions. In fact, proper plan-
ning will take into account anticipated climate patterns in the survey area.

Off-shore surveys tend to be
expensive.

Security
Elementary security rules apply to safe travel and i eldwork, the most important ones
being not to appear wealthy or to l aunt valuables, not to travel at night unless absolutely
necessary, and not to work alone. A minimum of two persons should jointly perform all
i eldwork, plus, if appropriate, a local guide who speaks the local language, and is familiar
with the project site. It is also recommended, and in most jurisdictions mandatory, to coor-
dinate i eldwork well in advance with local public authorities including police and infor-
mal public leaders such as the head of the village ( Case 8.6 ). Discussing i eldwork with
local public authorities prior to commencing work is common sense and represents simple
courtesy. Debriei ng at the conclusion of each i eld campaign is similarly a matter of cour-
tesy. Other basic safeguards apply to avoid theft or harm, such as locking rooms and vehi-
cles to secure their contents. A state of awareness is a valuable protection.
There is almost no paper - except cash - that cannot be replaced, eventually, if a copy
or a record of it exists. Before commencing i eldwork, important papers (such travel and
work permit, passport photo page, vaccination certii cate, air ticket, and driver's licence)
should be copied, with one copy left at the home base and at least two more copies carried
in various parts of the luggage. A list should be made and carried, recording important
information such as insurance policies, bank accounts, social security or national identity
numbers, credit card numbers, and camera serial number.

Elementary security rules apply
to safe travel and fi eldwork.

Discussing fi eldwork with local
public authorities prior to
commencing work is common
sense and represents simple
courtesy.

CASE 8.5
SCUBA Diving and Other Dangerous Fieldwork

Some service companies fl atly exclude SCUBA diving from
their range of services. It is too risky. Unsurprisingly SCUBA
diving should only be authorized when it is done in

accordance with established safe practices. Only competent,
certifi cated divers who are medically fi t to dive may
participate in diving operations.