Emergency contact details and risk assessment

For more in depth information see Meeting and conferences on the Safety website.

Off-site meetings and conferences usually present no significant health and safety risks from the meeting or conference itself.  However, there may be health or security risks that need to be addressed arising from the location.  The basic health and safety requirements for travel to meetings or conferences are:

Emergency contact information

If you are attending a meeting or conference abroad you must leave information with your Department on your expected date of return and how you can be contacted when away.  Complete the Off Site Contact Record (Conferences etc.).

Risk assessment

A documented risk assessment Fieldwork Risk Assessment Form (FW1) and Off Site Working Emergency Response Plan is not usually required for attending a meeting or conference unless:

⦁ the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against travel to the country or region;
⦁ the FCDO advises that there are significant security risks from your intended means of transport at your destination;
⦁ your chosen destination in on the College Insurers list of disturbed regions;
⦁ the country or region is listed by the College risk advisors as high or extreme political risk or high or extreme security threat;
⦁ the trip will involve staying in non-standard accommodation e.g. other than hotels, conference venues, and colleague’s home;
⦁ you intend to undertake potentially hazardous work related activities during your trip.  These are listed in the FW1 risk assessment form in red and in Appendix 4 of the Off-site Work Code of Practice (see on Safety's Off-site working);
⦁ the trip includes fieldwork;
⦁ the Principal Investigator or Head of Department considers it necessary;

For more in depth information see Hosted research on the Safety website.

Emergency contact information

You must leave information with your Department on your expected date of return and how you can be contacted when away.  Complete the Off Site Contact Record (Conferences etc.).

Hosted research SAFETy assurance requirements

If the visit includes involvement in hazardous research activity, then assurance must be obtained from the host institution that appropriate health and safety arrangements, including risk assessment, training and PPE are available for the visit. There may also be additional risk assessment and licences required if there is an intention to bring research samples from the host institution back to Imperial College.

If no risk assessments or safety induction processes are available from the host, then the traveller will have to conduct their own risk assessments for the work. This might include not only the Hosted Risk Assessment Form (Hosted1) but also the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health, Biological Agents and Ionising Radiation risk assessments.  These additional risk assessments and others can be found on the Safety webpage Find forms.

Off Site Working Emergency Response Plan

An Off Site Working Emergency Response Plan may be required if:

⦁ the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against travel to the country or region;
⦁ the FCDO advises that there are significant security risks from your intended means of transport at your destination;
⦁ your chosen destination in on the College Insurers list of disturbed regions;
⦁ the country or region is listed by the College risk advisors as high or extreme political risk or high or extreme security threat;
⦁ the trip will involve staying in non-standard accommodation e.g. other than hotels, conference venues, and colleague’s home;
⦁ you intend to undertake potentially hazardous work related activities during your trip.  These are listed in the FW1 risk assessment form in red and in Appendix 4 of the Off-site Work Code of Practice (see on Safety's Off-site working);
⦁ the trip includes fieldwork;
⦁ the Principal Investigator or Head of Department considers it necessary.

For more in depth information see Fieldwork on the Safety website.

Fieldwork involves exposure to a wide variety of risks. For this reason, a rigorous risk assessment needs to be undertaken, documented and approved prior to the work commencing. You will need to complete the Fieldwork Risk Assessment Form (FW1) and the Off Site Working Emergency Response Plan.

You may also potentially need to complete other risk assessments specific to the use of chemicals, radiation and biological agents as well as specialised or hazardous equipment such as chain saws, construction equipment and firearms.  These additional risk assessments and others can be found on the Safety webpage Find forms.