Field Safety Training: Changing the Culture of Fieldwork Course

Editorial Take

The Field Safety Training: Changing the Culture of Fieldwork course addresses a long-overlooked dimension of scientific research—interpersonal safety and team culture. While most safety training focuses on equipment, terrain, and weather, this program from the University of Colorado Boulder tackles the human elements that can make or break field expeditions.

Standout Strengths

• Inclusive Team Design: Teaches how to co-create team charters that reflect shared values and accountability. This participatory approach ensures buy-in and clarity before deployment.
• Psychological Safety Focus: Goes beyond physical safety to emphasize emotional and psychological well-being, helping teams recognize subtle forms of exclusion and harm.
• Leadership Accountability: Provides clear frameworks for defining leadership roles, decision-making authority, and conflict resolution pathways in remote settings.
• Code of Conduct Development: Offers step-by-step guidance for drafting enforceable codes that set behavioral expectations and consequences.
• Bystander Intervention Training: Equips participants with practical strategies to safely intervene when witnessing harassment or discrimination.
• Institutional Relevance: Aligns with growing funder and university requirements for field safety plans, making it valuable for grant proposals and compliance.

Honest Limitations

• Limited Technical Scope: Does not cover wilderness first aid, survival skills, or emergency evacuation procedures. Teams will need supplementary training for physical risks.
• No Certification Recognition: The course certificate is educational but not widely recognized as a formal credential by regulatory bodies.
• Academic Context Bias: Primarily designed for university-led research; less applicable to corporate or government field operations with different hierarchies.

How to Get the Most Out of It

• Study cadence: Complete one module every two weeks to allow time for team discussions and policy drafting. This pacing supports real-world application.
• Parallel project: Use the course to build an actual team charter for your next field expedition. Apply each module’s lessons directly to your context.
• Note-taking: Document key discussion points and decisions during team review sessions. These become part of your official field protocol.
• Community: Enroll entire field teams to ensure shared understanding and collective commitment to safety norms.
• Practice: Role-play intervention scenarios with colleagues to build confidence in addressing harmful behaviors.
• Consistency: Revisit the course materials annually to refresh team agreements and adapt to new team members.

Supplementary Resources

• Book: 'Teamology: The Hidden Logic That Turns Groups Into TRULY Great Teams' by Allen Cheng—complements team dynamics concepts.
• Tool: Google Workspace or Notion for collaborative code of conduct drafting and version control among team members.
• Follow-up: Enroll in advanced conflict resolution or diversity training courses to deepen interpersonal skills.
• Reference: AAAS guidelines on safe fieldwork practices provide additional policy templates and best practices.

Common Pitfalls

• Pitfall: Treating the course as individual learning rather than a team-wide initiative. Success depends on collective participation and agreement.
• Pitfall: Delaying implementation until after fieldwork begins. Norms must be established proactively, not reactively.
• Pitfall: Overlooking power imbalances in team composition. Leaders must model vulnerability and openness to feedback.

Time & Money ROI

• Time: Eight weeks is reasonable given the reflective nature of the content. Most learners spend 2–3 hours per week engaging with materials.
• Cost-to-value: Free access enhances accessibility, especially for underfunded research teams. High value for institutions aiming to reduce fieldwork liability.
• Certificate: While not industry-certified, it demonstrates commitment to ethical research practices, which strengthens grant applications.
• Alternative: Comparable in-person workshops cost hundreds of dollars; this course offers scalable, equitable access at no cost.

Editorial Verdict

This course fills a critical gap in the research training ecosystem by addressing the cultural and behavioral dimensions of field safety. Traditional safety protocols often ignore the social dynamics that can lead to harassment, exclusion, or psychological distress—issues that have derailed numerous field projects. By focusing on proactive team development, clear leadership structures, and intervention strategies, this program empowers research teams to operate more ethically and effectively.

We strongly recommend this course for principal investigators, field supervisors, and institutional review boards. While it won’t replace technical safety training, it should be considered essential preparation for any team deploying into remote or high-stress environments. Its emphasis on prevention, inclusion, and shared responsibility makes it a valuable investment in both human well-being and research integrity. Whether used for a single expedition or integrated into an organization’s standard operating procedures, the principles taught here have lasting impact.