Research Travel and Fieldwork Risk Assessment

If staff travel and have an overnight stay – a travel risk assessment (TRA) must be carried out. If staff/students carry out fieldwork in any location (UK or overseas) a Fieldwork Risk Assessment (FWRA) must be completed. To make these processes easier, SBOHVM has integrated both forms into one Travel and Fieldwork Risk Assessment Form (TFWRA) with detailed instructions of how to fill in each section.

Electronic risk assessments signed by Principal Investigators and Participants must be sent to the Travel and Fieldwork H&S Committee three weeks before proposed start date. The Travel and Fieldwork H&S Committee will review and flag any sections of concern, which may require amendments. Once the committee has approved the TFWRA (and only then) may you apply for insurance. Insurance is required for overnight stays and must be applied for at least five days in advance of travel with an attached, approved risk assessment. Travel and/or Fieldwork that is deemed moderate risk or above requires additional sign offs. The H&S Committee will facilitate these signatures only after the risk assessment is approved.

Travel Risk Assessment

If travel is international, we require individuals to use the University’s AIG International Risk Assessment tool. Access country-specific risk profiles by using your Glasgow email and Main Policy Number (15900329) to register for an account. If travel doesn’t involve fieldwork and the country has an overall low risk or below (and for UK overnights), a Generic Travel Risk Assessment may be sufficient for travel. For countries that are identified as an overall risk of moderate or above, all specific categories that have moderate, high risk, and very high must be detailed in section D in the SBOHVM Travel and Fieldwork Risk Assessment.

Fieldwork Risk Assessment

All fieldwork (UK and international) require risk assessments. For UK and fieldwork in countries that have an overall low risk or below, you may use the Generic Travel Risk Assessment in lieu of Section D and just fill in Sections A-C and E in the SBOHVM Travel and Fieldwork Risk Assessment. The SBOHVM Travel and Fieldwork Risk Assessment Template lists some of the hazards that you should be thinking about that relate to fieldwork, but more details are provided here. The aim of this is to make sure that safe working arrangements are in place for all staff and students working away from campus.


Travel Approval Portal

All trips that include an overnight stay either within the UK or outside of the UK must be registered with the Travel Approval Portal, and registering your trip is part of the University travel insurance requirement.

The Link for travel, fieldwork and placement are found on the SEPS website here:

https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/seps/travelfieldworkandplacement/