ID19: Field Work Safety

Abstract ID 911 | Date: 2022-09-13 (program see above) | Type: Oral Presentation | Place: SOWI – Seminar room U3

Moser, Raphael (1,2); Jacquemart, Mylène (1,2)

Fieldwork is an integral part of glaciological research, and managing the typical hazards (crevasses, avalanches etc.) encountered in the glacierized environment requires specific training and expertise. Oftentimes, field campaigns rely on the help of a variety of people with different levels of experience and training, particularly students, interns, or early career scientists. At the same time, education and training in the field is a key component for empowering VAW-GL team members at ETH. Here, we present a recently implemented field site rating that categorizes regularly visited field sites based on the necessary expertise and physical requirements. This rating system helps assign field sites to team members with an adequate level of experience. This procedure, as well as simple but effective procedures for fieldwork risk management, helps increase the safety of field campaigns and also allows less experienced persons to ease into glaciological fieldwork while increasing their expertise.

Abstract ID 928 | Date: 2022-09-13 (program see above) | Type: Oral Presentation | Place: SOWI – Seminar room U3

Jacquemart, Mylène (1,2); Hill, Alice (3)

Managing risk in the field includes physical, objective risks of the environment, but also the interpersonal challenges carried by working with small teams in isolated places. Scientists working in remote field conditions are even more vulnerable to impacts from extreme working environments or harassment because they are far from their personal support systems such as friends and family and they typically can’t escape their working and living situation, often one and the same, if something goes awry. Here, we present insights from FieldSafe, a hands-on workshop that teaches field scientists effective tools for creating an inclusive team culture. We argue that this should be seen as an integral part of risk management and creates a win-win situation for individuals, institutions, and the wider science community. It leads to higher performing teams that are able to produce better and more creative science; field data is more successfully and efficiently collected; and scientists feel (and are!) safer, enjoy their job more, can better support their colleagues, and exhibit higher retention rates

Abstract ID 940 | Date: 2022-09-13 (program see above) | Type: Oral Presentation | Place: SOWI – Seminar room U3

Ravanel, Ludovic (1,2); Batoux, Philippe (3); Pallandre, François (3,2)

Field trips are a major component of research in geosciences. When working on high mountain objects (rock faces, glaciers, moraines, high altitude species, atmosphere…), the question of safety becomes much more crucial than on less rugged and lower altitude fields. Indeed, the challenging topography and the harsh weather conditions combine to increase the risks.

For most of the studies, the researcher is climbing classic routes and use standard methods of alpinism techniques and risk management. The researcher is indeed confronted with the same dangers as any other mountaineer (falls, crevasses, avalanches, séracs, rockfalls, landslides, etc.) and several ‘safety pillars’ must be respected: preparation, equipment, level of training and professional courses, management of the trip, adaptation in the field, and first aid and rescue. We will discuss them and identify some guidelines.

We will also deal with the ‘human factors’ because the researcher may be subject to insidious constraints like necessarily bringing back the expected data because i) the weather is bad afterwards, ii) the trip is expensive, iii) the project funding stops, iv) the PhD student needs the data, v) the scientific question is really exciting…

At last, occasionally, the researcher sometimes goes in places where nobody goes usually, somehow breaking the rules and pushing the limits. In such a case, to combine daring with safety, the risk has to be reduced by the efficiency of the team, with perfect technical skills and exemplary coordination in order to keep the time of exposure to risks to an absolute minimum.

Abstract ID 942 | Date: 2022-09-13 (program see above) | Type: Oral Presentation | Place: SOWI – Seminar room U3

Naegeli, Kathrin (1,2); Nicholson, Lindsey (3); Team Europe, Inspiring Girls Expeditions (4)

Girls on Ice Switzerland and Austria run tuition-free wilderness science expeditions for young women from diverse backgrounds. The glacier expeditions interweave science (e.g. glaciology, geomorphology, environmental aspects), art and mountaineering. Girls on Ice does not only intend to transfer scientific knowledge, but also aims to teach a general understanding of the scientific process, a mediation of nature experiences and an enhanced self-confidence and self-evaluation. A combination of inquiry-based teaching, experiential learning, and the tangibility of climate change science in the alpine environment provide a unique teaching environment. This particular framework allows to communicate science to non- and potential not-yet-peers, to facilitate insights into the scientific work through hands-on experiences, and to enhance the participants’ general interest in science.

Here, we present our organisation and philosophy, and shed light on challenges of organising and leading glacier expeditions for young women in the age 15-17 years. While there is a strong classical safety aspect in the organisation and execution of such an expedition, team culture and mental health is highly important and is taken care of in the training of our instructors and are taken up in our core elements of the expeditions. We conclude on the importance of life-long learning and discussion concerning this topic to successfully run such unique programmes for young women.

Abstract ID 953 | Date: 2022-09-13 (program see above) | Type: Oral Presentation | Place: SOWI – Seminar room U3

Cohen, Sara Mollie

The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) is a small research university located in the town of Longyearbyen, the main settlement on Svalbard, an archipelago in the arctic ocean, 78° North. UNIS is part of the Norwegian state-run university system. On a typical year UNIS can host over one thousand students and researchers for both courses and research with fieldwork being a compulsory component. The student body is made up of roughly 50% Norwegian students and 50% international students, representing 43 different countries in 2019. Fieldwork can range from simple operations such as a few students counting birds on the side of the road outside of the university building, to complicated operations such as running radar lines on remote crevassed glaciers. The section for operations and field safety employs eleven full time staff to carry out the safety training, quality assurance and safe operations of all fieldwork.

As UNIS enters its 30^th year of operation in 2023, three decades of experience of leading fieldwork in a high arctic environment, has led to many best practices and UNIS being recognized as a leading institution in performing fieldwork in the arctic. However, with such large numbers of people going out into the field under various circumstances, challenges will always be a factor. Common hazards encountered during fieldwork in Svalbard include weather; avalanches; glaciers; wildlife; sea ice; mountainous terrain; among others, with the human factor affecting all operations.

Both best practices and challenges experienced over seven years as an employee in the section for operations and field safety will be the main contribution for the International Mountain Conference 2022. UNIS can facilitate safe practices in the field for thousands of field days each year based on the following pillars: a wide offering of safety courses both generic for normal university courses and ‘catered’ to the individual scientist; the ‘HSE brief’, a compulsory meeting before all fieldwork; and the expertise and experience of its staff using ‘experience feedback’.

Naturally, even with a comprehensive safety system, incidents and accidents in the field do occur every field season. While UNIS can be a leading example of how to successfully carry out fieldwork in harsh environments, UNIS can also benefit from developing an even more robust safety system. Examples of both successes and failures in the field are used as examples.