Health and Safety

Fieldwork Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are a University of Leeds requirement for all fieldwork taking place off campus, including on NHS premises. The risk assessment forms and further guidance on planning for fieldwork in a variety of settings can be found on the University's Health & Safety website along with further information about risk assessments:

• Fieldwork
• Off Campus Safety
• Risk Assessments

Further information for Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) staff and students.

NB: PGRs based in the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) must use the FSS forms.

The University's Insurance website includes a list of countries for which prior authorisation is required from the insurers before travel insurance can be confirmed.

Contact the Wellbeing, Safety and Health team (safety@leeds.ac.uk) for further advice on any queries/questions.

The University holds a Worldwide Business Travel insurance policy to provide automatic cover for any member of staff, postgraduate, undergraduate student, or any person under a contract to the University, travelling outside the UK on behalf of the University and representing the University during their business (including student study abroad, fieldwork, work placements etc).

The University's Worldwide Business Travel insurance policy number must be added to all Fieldwork (Risk) Assessments for travel outside the UK; additionally, the Foreign Commonwealth Office website must be used to inform the Fieldwork (Risk) Assessment and identify risk control measures. Where FCO travel warnings are in place further advice must be sought from the School Health and Safety Coordinator or the Faculty Health and Safety Manager as there are additional requirements that will apply.

Please note, for journeys to some countries, prior authorisation is required from the insurers before travel insurance can be confirmed.

Please see the University insurance webpages for further information.

Students entering programmes and courses which involve regular access to children and/or vulnerable adults will be legally required to register with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) which is administered by the Independent Safeguarding Authority. The Independent Safeguarding Authority has recently been established as a single agency to monitor all individuals who want to work or volunteer with vulnerable people. Registration with the scheme costs about £64.00 as a one-off payment which covers both the cost of registration and a DBS check.

An individual is a 'child' if they are under the age of 18. However, if a 16- or 17-year-old has left full time education and is in employment, they would not be a child for the purposes of carrying out criminal record checks through DBS if the activity concerned took place at their place of work (this includes work experience placements which should be considered as unpaid work).

Further information on DBS checks is available on the Home Office website.