No matter your destination or objective, a robust and well-managed safety plan is a critical element of responsible expedition planning.
In this talk at the annual RGS Explore Weekend, Stephen Jones, chair of the Expeditions and Fieldwork Committee with 25 years' experience leading expeditions and managing field operations, guides you through effectively assessing potential risks and managing safety in the field.
Your safety management needs to be based on evidence and information, not just on your impression of the place.
What does this talk cover?
From avoiding an attempted carjacking in Harare to having his equipment stolen in the Caucasus, Stephen’s decades of expedition leadership experience have given him plentiful firsthand experience of things going wrong.
Stephen leads you on a comprehensive walkthrough of essential knowledge for any expedition team member planning their next project. He covers topics ranging from avoiding terrorism hotspots and pickpockets to identifying local airlines that don’t meet basic safety standards, outlining methodologies to minimise threats to you and your team’s safety.
As well as planning for emergencies and establishing frameworks for action in case things go wrong, a practical and accessible safety document that you have with you in the field is an effective way to maximise safety.
Of course, some level of danger is inherent in any expedition, as Stephen notes. “We all have to accept the levels of risk in what we’re going to be doing. You need to make sure that it's not just the level of risk that you’re comfortable with, it’s the rest of the team as well.”
Key moments
- 02:35 – Personal experiences of dangers in the field
- 03:10 – Delving into the statistics of overseas safety issues
- 06:00 – Putting together a risk management system
- 07:18 – Understanding threats and conducting a threat assessment
- 09:25 – Effective use of travel advice
- 11:24 – What a well-constructed risk assessment consists of
- 15:00 – Common hazards and the statistics surrounding them
- 27:29 – Your emergency response plan
- Article
Getting started: field safety principles for expeditioners
Learn essential safety principles for any expedition, covering risk assessments and emergency planning to ensure a safe and successful journey.
- Publication
Oxford Handbook of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine
Heading into the wild? Authored by our expert Fellows, this is your essential, pocket-sized guide for remote medical emergencies.
- Video
The anatomy of an expedition plan with Felicity Aston MBE
Learn the essentials to construct a robust expedition plan, with the first woman to ski alone across Antarctica, Felicity Aston.
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