Employer, manager or advisor at DTU

If you are an employer, hold a management function or are an advisor to an employee, student or guest going on fieldwork

As manager, working manager or advisor for the employees, students or guests who will be away, you need to ensure that the fieldwork is carried out in a way that is completely safe. This applies to fieldwork in Denmark and abroad.

You are responsible for:

• Making sure that a competent fieldwork leader is present during the fieldwork and that this person assumes this responsibility. If there is no fieldwork leader present, you assume the tasks and responsibility of the fieldwork leader
• Assessing and approving a risk assessment as well as appropriate contingency preparation, in advance of the fieldwork and if there are significant changes on location
• Ensuring the fieldwork leader complies with the guidelines

If the fieldwork takes place abroad, or if the fieldwork leader is not a DTU employee, you are additionally responsible for:

• Stopping the fieldwork if conditions mean the fieldwork cannot be carried out in a safe manner 
• Ensuring that participants receive instruction in the work, the risk assessment, the contingency preparation and the safety equipment
• Carrying out control that the work is done in a way that meets all safety requirements
• Ensuring that participants have attended any legally required courses to be able to carry out the Work
• Ensuring that the participants only work independently or alone, if you consider that this is safe
• Reporting any near miss incidents or accidents during the fieldwork to the local work environment organisation
• Making fieldwork participants aware of the insurance they need to take out
• Ensuring fieldwork complies with the work environment legislation of the country where the fieldwork takes place
• Establishing a fieldwork work environment group if this is legally required
• Ensuring that fieldwork participants comply with guidelines

• The employee signs a consent form if the field work involves a trip to a possible risk area as DTU employee

If a DTU employee or a DTU student fails to follow the instructions or if the instructions are lacking, the employer can be held responsible, and face a potential fine.

If a non-DTU employee fails to follow the instructions or does not receive instruction, it is unlikely that the employer will be held responsible, unless he or she has witnessed or been made aware of this and has not taken action.