Stay safe during fieldwork and off campus activities

Plan and get approval

This page supports the Work Off-Campus (WOC) and Fieldwork Procedure (FW) and should be read alongside it to help prevent injury or illness during off-campus or fieldwork activities.

UQ staff and students often work in diverse, unfamiliar or uncontrolled environments. Even if the location isn’t a registered UQ site, it’s still considered a workplace under relevant legislation. All participants – including senior officers, supervisors and workers – must meet their legal duties.

1.Identify activities that need a WOC/FW Plan

Assess medium to high-risk activities

Activities considered medium or higher risk require a WOC/FW Plan. Examples include:

archaeology, geology or geography expeditions
boating, diving, snorkelling, marine research
collecting biological or other specimens
farm studies or animal research at non-UQ facilities
fauna observation and monitoring
international travel to high-risk destinations
interviewing the public, investigative journalism or photography
working with clients in their homes or off-campus locations
working at mine or excavation sites
remote or isolated fieldwork
surveying (e.g. soil, vegetation).

Get approval for high-risk destinations

Travel to high-risk destinations – as defined by DFAT’s Smart Traveller website – requires additional planning and approval:

Approval will only be granted with strong justification and planning. See the UQ travel website for details.

Apply proportionate controls for low-risk activities

The Work Off-Campus and Fieldwork Procedure does not strictly apply to low-risk off-campus work. Each activity should be assessed individually and a proportionate risk management approach taken. A risk assessment may still be needed – for example, for travel.

Examples of low-risk activities:

travel via reputable airline to major Australian cities
attending conferences or meetings
interviews or audits in established facilities (e.g. hospitals, schools)
educational presentations or workshops
clinical placements at non-UQ facilities
staff working at another organisation’s site (with appropriate risk assessment).

The procedure and WOC/FW Plan do not apply to:

staff working from home
student placements
students undertaking work experience.

2. Know when a WOC/FW Plan is required

You need a WOC/FW plan when:

accompanying students on placement (for staff only)
accompanying students on UQ-led field trip (for all participants)
undertaking medium to high-risk activities at non-UQ locations (for staff, HDR students and volunteers.

You do not need a WOC/FW plan when:

working from home (see Flexible Work Policy)
attending a conference or meetings (see Travel Policy)
undertaking student placement or work experience (see Work Integrated Learning and Work Placement Experience Policy)
accompanying students to low-risk destinations (see Travel Policy).

3. Complete a WOC/FW Plan in UQSafe

If your off-campus activity is medium or high risk, complete a Work Off-Campus and Fieldwork (WOC/FW) Plan in UQSafe.

Use these resources and guides

Contact your Work Health and Safety Coordinator or HSW Manager for help completing the plan.

Complete fieldwork safety training

All fieldwork participants must complete the UQ Fieldwork Safety training module, available via:

Workday (staff and HDR students)
Blackboard (undergraduate students)
Online (volunteers)

Include this training as a control in your risk assessment.

Contact your Work Health and Safety Coordinator or HSW Manager with any questions.

Check vaccination and immunisation requirements

Depending on your work, vaccinations may be required under the Vaccinations and Immunisation Procedure.

See Immunisations and disease for more information.

Prepare for overseas work trips

If you're planning an overseas work trip, you may need to complete a WOC/FW Plan before departure.

Refer to the 6 steps to travel for guidance on planning, booking and paying for travel.