These newsletters are sent to staff and students regarding work environment, safety and health issues. The newsletter is published 4 times a year, after LAMU meetings. Information from LAMU and the department rules and regulations can always be found at the website for Work environment. (Requires AU-network, use the VPN client from external locations).

Agendas and minutes from LAMU meetings are located on the O-drive:

O:\Nat-Tech_Geo-Faelles\Referater fra udvalg\LAMU

The theme for the majority of this newsletter is SAFETY RELATED TO FIELDWORK.

The new work environment organisation has been selected for the 2021-2024 term. We now have 3 work environment groups with the following work environment representatives:

1. Laboratories: Birte Lindahl Eriksen, Rikke Brok Jensen
2. Fieldwork & workshops: Per Trinhammer
3. Researchers & administrative staff: Thomas Ulrich

For groups 1+2 Charlotte Rasmussen has been appointed by the head of department to represent management. For group 3 Thomas Lund Hansen has been appointed by the head of department to represent management.

All staff members officially belong to one work environment group only, contact Charlotte Rasmussen if in doubt.

Contact information of all LAMU members can be found on the website. Feel free to contact your representative in all matters concerning physical or mental wellbeing, health and safety issues at work.

Charlotte has been appointed by the dean to be part of FAMU for 2021-2024.

Gülnur Dogan is no longer part of the work environment organisation. Thanks to Gülnur for supporting and improving the department work environment by her initiatives and commitment the last 3 years.

• Charlotte Rasmussen is appointed chair of the committee and Daily Work environment leader at the department.
• Birte Lindahl Eriksen has been reelected as vice chair.
• We have now welcomed a student (with observer status) who can bring relevant issues back and forth between the students and the committee.
• In a joint effort with LSU we expect to start working on the proces of improving workplace culture at AU and the department soon. It will likely include a workshop for all staff that will be facilitated by a consultant from the AU-HR Work environment unit.
• Katrine Andresen is now a member of the diversity and equality committee on faculty level and will participate in the joint meetings with LAMU and LSU.
• Staff who have mandatory certificates related to safety (e.g. epoxy, truck or other) must send a copy to Charlotte and the secretariat. 
• Many tasks and initiatives in LAMU await a more normal operation at the university.

As with any other type of work, if you work off-campus you need to plan in advance and you need to make a risk assessment. Only by being prepared you can react quickly and efficiently to minimize the damage.

The danish magazine Outside (free) in the January 2021 edition focussed on the subject "safety when out". Several articles may be of relevance and are related to fieldwork or excursions. They may provide inspiration for your check list:

• Tips for a day trip
• Podcast "Getting off the mountain" (when you have to leave the area sooner than expected), 39 minutter
• How to use an emergency transmitter
• Safety in mountainous areas
• Rules in the mountains
• Cell phone coverage when on the mountain
• Use of safety whistle
• Tips from Fjällsäkerhetsrådet

You can request the magazine as a pdf-file from Charlotte, if the link doesn't work.

Proper preparation can be crucial when a change in the weather conditions, difficult terrain or the local wildlife becomes a threat. If you are going to a remote location (or for a longer duration) you should have a health check up, including dental care.

Make sure to prepare for local laws and regulations. Ask the owner of the land for permission to work. Always bring all equipment and waste with you when you leave.

It is always recommended to keep your first aid skills updated.

When working in the Arctic region, GEUS has a number of courses that should be completed and which we also recommend:

• Arctic First Aid Course (see below)
• Shooting Course
• Glacier Course
• Inflatable Course
• First Aid Course
• Elementary Fire Fighting

The shooting course is held by GEUS in Roskilde.

The Arctic First Aid Course has been held in Rødovre at the GEUS storage facility, and in 2021 in Nuuk at ISAAFFIK:

An intensive 1-day safety course, providing the participants with knowledge that makes him or her able to provide relevant first aid during sickness or accidents at fieldwork in the Arctic. Here there are limited ressources (equipment, trained personel and evacuation) and there is a higher risk of hypothermia and injuries related to low temperatures. The course handles the following subjects:

• Hypothermia and the physiology of the body
• A short repetition of basic resuscitation - on QCPR-dolls with realtime feedback
• Haemorrhages and tourniquets
• Sprains and fractures
• Burn injuries and carbondioxide intoxications
• Frost-bites
• Treating wounds and infections
• Short intro to bringing medicin
• Radio Medical-procedures and training
• Handling the psychological effect during isolation
• Transporting a wounded person
• Firs aid kits
• Cases and practicals

If you go to Svalbard to study, The University Center in Svalbard (UNIS) has a 3 ECTS safety course (duration 6 days).

On Svalbard you can participate in other safety courses related to arctic safety and survival, e.g. at the Norwegian Polar Institute which normally organises these types of courses.

If you go offshore there are several safety courses that are relevant and some are mandatory:

• In Esbjerg you can participate in Mærsk Training and specifically the course STCW conventions A-VI/1 or "Certified maritime training". This course is mandatory if you work on platforms.
• In Thyborøn the Fiskeriskolen EUC nordvest holds a number of courses aimed at work onboard vessels. Here you can either participate at one of their existing classes or you can organize a course held locally at Geoscience. The latter will cost approximately kr. 22000 for 12 persons. Part of the course will be held at the sea (e.g. Aarhus Havn).
• The Danish Maritime Authority also has courses that include survival, fire fighting, rescue at sea, etc. You receive a STCW certificate. Note that the STCW certificate must be renewed every 5 years.

In general you should contact Per Trinhammer to learn more about marine safety. Per can also help you select the proper course, or organize a course locally at Geoscience.

Any transport of chemicals or dangerous materials related to fieldwork and expeditions requires documentation which is issued by the AU safety advisor. This could be ethanol or fuel, or other substances that are classified as dangerous. Lithium-batteries also fall into the "dangerous goods" category, contact Per Trinhammer for transportation and tips on handling.

If transport documentation is needed you must contact the AU safety advisor (Trine Guldager) with the following information:

• Sender: Name and address
• Recipient: Name and address
• What type of substance: UN number or send her the material safety data sheet
• Volume, number of items and type of packaging
• The freight company and route, as well as information regarding how the transportation will be carried out: By land, sea or air (or a combination of these)

Providing the correct documentation can be timeconsuming: Always contact the safety advisor in good time before packing. You may want to consider if it is easier to obtain some items at your destination, instead of transporting them from Aarhus University. 

If in doubt, contact Charlotte Rasmussen.

We have some minor field equipment for fieldwork, excursions and sampling at the department, contact Charlotte Rasmussen to discuss the options. We have compasses, measuring tapes, scrapers etc.

Don't forget relevant first aid equipment that suits your project:

• Always bring a charged mobile phone or satellite phone.
• If you intend to drill, saw or hammer into rock material always bring hard safety goggles and eye rinsing systems.
• Depending on the situation you may find it relevant to bring a set of heavy duty working gloves or dust masks (P2 type).
• If the work is carried out in areas where there is a higher risk of material sliding or collapsing (e.g. in gravel pits, at cliffs or on glaciers) you must bring safety helmets and use proper foot wear.

Safety goggles, eye rinsing systems, gloves and dust masks are handed out by Charlotte Rasmussen.

Satellite phones can be rented and you buy a SIM-card, e.g. for a number of months. Contact Per Trinhammer.

Foot wear is normally considered "personal equipment" and should be purchased individually. However, the department has a limited number of safety shoes and safety helmets which can be borrowed, contact Per Trinhammer.

Note that certain instruments and equipment that ship abroad (e.g. to Greenland) need proper ensurance and transport documentation (Carnet, a toll document). Contact Per Trinhammer who has vast experience with this.

Read in good time before going:

• Henning Ting: Encounters with Wildlife in Greenland (1990)
• Peter L. Clarkson & Ian Stirling: Polar Bears (1994)
• Faculty of Science, Københavns Universitet has published and english field book (2018)
• Bioscience, Aarhus Universitet has published an english field book (2020)
• A brand new scientific paper (May 2021) from Safety Science discusses the challenges related to safety in the Arctic.

You can request all pdf-files from Charlotte, if the links don't work.

Geoscience work environment portal (including newsletters)

Geoscience work environment organisation (contact information)

Work environment at Geoscience (brochure for newcomers)

Evacuation at Aarhus Universitet

AU HR work environment

YouTube (department safety videos)