Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
that they have a considerable blind area so special care
must be taken. For hazardous substances follow the specifi c
health and safety guidelines provided.
Fatigue : Tiredness is dangerous because reactions are
slowed. It is quite easy on fi eldwork to work long hours
especially when there are many hours of daylight. Maintain
your normal working hours if possible and ensure that you
eat and drink at regular intervals. In a party the leader or fi rst
aider should look out for any members of the party who
show fatigue, headaches or nausea and take appropriate
action (e.g. for altidude sickness, immediate descent).
2
(3) Know what to do in an emergency
Members of the party should know who is trained in fi rst aid.
In larger fi eld parties it is also advisable to set up a chain of
command in case an incident occurs. Ensure that you know
how to contact the emergency services, what the emergency
telephone number is for the country that you are visiting, what
the local mobile phone signal coverage is and where you have
to go to obtain a signal. On many beaches with sea-cliffs and in
mountainous areas the coverage is poor or patchy. In some
parts of the world it may be necessary to carry a satellite phone
or radio.
Working alone
Sometimes, it may be necessary to do fi eldwork alone. In this
case regular (i.e. daily) contact should be maintained with
someone who can organize help in the event that you go
missing. In case help does need to be raised, it is also good
practice to leave information indicating the route that you will
take and where you will be working that day.
2.11.3 Field safety equipment
It is not only necessary and sensible to wear protective clothing
when working in hazardous areas, it is also now law in much
of the world, along with the completion of some type of risk
assessment form. All safety equipment should be checked
regularly.
Hard hat : In areas where there are cliffs and therefore risk
of rock falls a hard hat is essential. The hard hat will
prevent concussion or skull fracture from rocks up to
fi st-sized; it will not, of course, protect you from much
larger pieces of falling rock. The plastic builder-type hard
hats with an internal plastic cage that is adjustable for the
size of your head and leaves a space between the top of
your head and the hat are adequate for most purposes.
These are available from most builders merchants/hardware
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