Safety Guidelines for Field Research

Safety First

Volunteer safety is the top priority for community based environmental monitoring and improvement groups. Safety is important when traveling to and from the site, at the river's edge and during testing. The following guidelines have been developed and tested by Waterwatch Australia for use by group leaders, such as teachers, to ensure the safety of volunteers. If monitoring requires putting a volunteer at risk, do not attempt it.

Understand the risks

• Each volunteer should be requested to sign a liability release form before monitoring.
  
• Teachers should follow standard school procedures, obtaining from each student signed parental permission and a list of any special needs or allergies that the student may have.

Choose safe sites

• Don't select sites exclusively from a map survey. Visit the site beforehand to see if there are any hazards.
  
• Avoid sites where there are dogs, livestock, wasps, bees, or prickly plants.
  
• Choose sites with safe and easy access to the waters edge. Avoid sites with steep, slippery or unstable banks, or are adjacent to deep, swiftly flowing water or strong surf.
  
• Be sure the site, such as urban storm water drains, creeks or estuaries are not prone to rapid flood or tidewater rise without warning.
  
• If a bridge is selected as a sampling site, be sure it has a raised or otherwise protected walkway with a guard rail.

Wear appropriate clothing

• If its cold and could rain, advise that the volunteers wear warm clothing, a raincoat and sturdy waterproof shoes. If its sunny, ask the volunteers to wear a hat and apply sun screen. If the site is heavily vegetated, recommend long pants, and a long sleeved shirt to avoid scratches. Be sure the volunteers wear something bright so that they can be easily seen.
  
• When conducting stream monitoring of macroinvertebrates, make sure the volunteers wear waders, boots, or old sneakers with a good grip. Do not allow anyone to go barefoot, as they may cut their feet on sticks or broken glass.
  
• Bring extra clothes and a towel in case someone slips in and gets wet.
  

Bring safety gear and a first aid kit

• Supply lifejackets to students or adult participants monitoring from a boat.
  
• Rubber gloves are essential for anyone with an open sore or bandaged wound. They should also be worn when handling chemicals or polluted water.
  
• Group leaders should bring a fully stocked first aid kit to the sampling site. Make sure antihistamines and a sterile saline eyewash are included.
  
• Ideally, someone in the group should have formal training in first aid.
  

Maintain contact with help

• Carry coins, phonecards or a mobile phone in case you need to make an emergency call.
  
• If you have no access to a mobile phone, let every one know where the nearest phone is located.
  
• In the event of a serious injury, do not hesitate to call "111".
  
• In remote areas, carry a map, a compass, and a whistle and let a responsible person know exactly where you will be sampling and approximately how long you will be gone. Ask him or her to take immediate action if you have not returned at the time you promised.
  

Appoint a group leader

• Each monitoring group should appoint a group leader. This person should take responsibility for safety advice, monitoring procedures and group decision-making. The leader should be with the group each time it goes out. On occasions when the leader cannot be present a "Backup" who also has a good understanding of the safety guidelines and monitoring procedures should be present.
  
• As soon as you arrive at the monitoring site and before you begin monitoring, hold a quick meeting. This is the opportunity for the leader to review the potential hazards of the site and to assess the abilities of the group. Let the volunteers know that it's OK to say "I can't do this." Check that the group has the appropriate footwear, safety gear and monitoring equipment before proceeding to the monitoring site.
  
• Horseplay at the monitoring site or in the laboratory can lead to possible injury. Monitoring group leaders should emphasise this safety aspect before each testing session.
  

Never sample alone

• When working in or around a body of water, never sample alone. Work with at least two others and stay within calling distance of the main group. If one is collecting a sweep sample along the streams edge the other can hold and secure a safety line. If someone is injured, one person can go for help and one can stay with the injured person. Make sure everyone knows who they will be working with.
  
• Do not allow children to sample without adult supervision. There should be at least one adult for every 8-10 children and at least two adults per group. Schools should check their excursion guidelines.

Never go into the water above your knees

• All sampling is done on the shore or from the water's edge except for the fresh water macroinvertebrate tests which are conducted in shallow riffles less than knee deep.
  
• When conducting the macroinvertebrate tests, use the handle of your monitoring net to probe the water in front of you for rocks or deep holes.
  
• Use a pole sampler to avoid getting too close to the waters edge.
  

Avoid contact with polluted water

• Carry drinking water with you. Do not drink water from the water source you are testing as it may contain sewage or chemicals. In particular, when sampling in urban areas, do not put your hands near your mouth, or eat or drink while testing the water.
  
• When collecting algae samples wear gloves as blue green algae can cause skin and eye irritations in humans.
  
• Bring hand washing supplies, and make sure you use them after monitoring. This is especially important if the field trip involves a picnic lunch, barbecue or snack.
  

Take proper care when carrying out chemical tests

• Be sure to read through testing procedures and safety instructions before conducting tests.
  
• Take care when handling chemicals. Always use the safety equipment provided, eg. gloves to avoid potential risk.
  
• Always wear goggles or some other form of recommended protective eyewear when using chemicals in the field or in the lab. Contact lenses may be irritated by and absorb chemical fumes.
  
• Never taste chemicals for any reason.
  
• Always read the label before using a chemical and never assume that you know the contents of an unmarked container.
  
• Label all containers with permanent markers.
  
• Do not dispose of used chemicals by dumping on the ground or in the waterway! Bring a container with a tight fitting lid so that wastes can be returned to a laboratory for proper disposal.

When testing for E. coli or faecal coliform

• Treat all bacterial cultures as pathogenic and therefore potentially dangerous. Use gloves and forceps to avoid any possible contamination.
  
• Wash hands before and after carrying out the analysis.
  
• To dispose of cultures and resterilise plastic petri dishes:
  

a. Using tongs or wearing rubber gloves remove petri dish covers, and then carefully place covers, dishes, and cultures into a large beaker or pan containing undiluted, liquid household bleach.

b. After 10 minutes remove the petri dishes, and rinse them well under running water. The wet pads and filter should be put in plastic bags, the bag sealed and properly discarded.

1. Carefully immerse the petri dishes in a solution of 70% isopropyl alcohol for 10 minutes.
2. Remove the petri dishes and covers and stack them on a clean surface to dry. Reassemble dishes and covers. They are now ready for storage or reuse.

Risk Management in River Surveys