Health, Safety and Environment  (HSE) and the Field Research Activities Committee with assistance from the Faculty of ALES and SCI are organizing a Field Safety Day on Thursday, May 8th.  There will be safety stations set up (outside location to be decided) where participants will travel from station to station learning practical tasks such as when and how to change a tire, using a compass, available safety apps to have on your phone,  tying down an ATV on a trailer, fire extinguisher training, de-escalation techniques, hands-on bear spray use and more.  This will be an all-day event designed to orient researchers with the skills that will help prepare them for field research.

Save the date and watch for more information on registering in future newsletters.

If you are planning on working in the field in the near future and haven't taken the Field Research Safety Training yet, please visit this page for more details.

If you have activities that are assessed at a risk level 2 (medium) to level 5 (Extreme), you are required to take both parts of the training, the eLearning and the in-Person training sessions.

We have scheduled the following sessions: 

February 4 (9 -12 pm) - 2-25, Materials Management Bldg 

February 6 (1- 4 pm) - virtual - only open to those who cannot attend an in-person session due to accessibility issues. 

The frequency of in-person sessions will increase in April when new hires and field activity increases.

Everyone must register using the Google form.  Sharing the Google Meet link with another or joining as a group during the session, impacts the record of attendance, and certificates cannot be issued if participants don't register. 

The audit interviews and document reviews are completed. Thank you to all who gave your time and provided feedback and suggestions for improvement in the Field Research Safety Program. The Audit Report will be finalized by February 14, 2025 and will be presented to various groups including HSE, Field Research Activities Committee, leadership and administrative committees at the U of A.

HSE received a question from a Faculty member asking whether school buses were allowed to transport students and staff for a University of Alberta field trip or field school on a forestry/logging/resource road or whether HSE would recommend a "chartered bus" with seatbelts instead.  

Transport Canada (TC) supports school buses as a means of transporting students and provides the rationalization in this link. Chartered buses are in a different category, and different standards/regulations are applied. In July 2018, TC published a regulation mandating seatbelts on all new motor coaches to improve bus occupant safety (came into force: September 2020). When contracting with a chartered bus company, the University must do its due diligence to ensure that the contractor meets TC's requirements.

The University's Vehicle Management and Driver Safety Manual is currently undergoing an update that will include further information on renting buses through Transportation Services. It is highly recommended where there is intended travel on forestry/logging/resource roads, that those requesting buses, request an "Industrial Type" bus equipped with seat belts. The request for the charter should provide the destination and road type which will allow Transportation Services to request this bus type. Please allow as much time as possible when requesting to allow the facilitation. 

Planning is ongoing for a move of the South Campus Storage Lot (where field equipment is stored in Sea Cans and trailers are parked, directly south of the Saville Centre as shown in the photo above). Both Space Planning and the Project Manager (Peter Gegolick) have been in touch with the Field Research Office. Although the exact location of the new lot has not yet been confirmed, it will remain on South Campus.   

Storage Lot Move - The Project Planner has worked to try to secure a contractor for the new lot construction. As it is too cold to do the work, they have postponed the move for now (no confirmed time but most likely when the ground thaws in early spring).

Garbage and Metal Recycle Bins - The Project Planner has provided a garbage bin and a metal recycle bin. The bins have been dropped off and will be left there until mid-February. Do not discard hazardous materials (chemicals, flammables, etc.) as these should be disposed of using the University's Hazardous Waste Disposal procedures. If you have hazardous waste you wish to dispose of, follow the procedures here for chemical waste pick-up. 

We will keep you informed as we receive updates, however, if you have any questions, contact Peter Gegolick.

Wilderness First Aid

When:  February 18-20 (T, W, Th)-  8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Where:  Emily Murphy Park
Cost:     $350.00 

Chainsaw Training:

When:  May 5 - 7  (M, T, W)-  8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Where:  UAlberta Botanic Gardens (close to Devon)
Cost:    Full 3 day course (including falling):  $1,000.00 (may decrease depending upon participation) 
2 day course (limbing and bucking):  $750.00 

Mandatory firearms training (hands-on training from a third party, two days) is being organized for March and April. This will be required before any firearms are brought to the field.  Please contact Robert Mills for more information.   

Before the field season rush, It is wise to get in touch with Jeff Brady HSE Fleet Safety Advisor to arrange for driver training/evaluation, trailer training, and ATV training.  Jeff's phone number is (825) 963-0613.