Guidance for volunteer fieldworkers

The term fieldwork covers all types of ornithological survey and research work undertaken on behalf of the BTO, including counting, nest recording and ringing. This guide identifies some key issues that volunteers should consider while undertaking fieldwork in the UK.

Below you will find the BTO fieldwork hazard checklist, plus important information on insurance, land access, fieldwork considerations for under 18s and safeguarding.

Insurance – public liability

BTO carries insurance for liabilities to third parties for loss, damage or injury, and can provide written confirmation for any landowner requesting it.

Important note: claims under this policy depend on a legal liability for the BTO being established, so it may not cover you in a personal capacity. You are not covered by the BTO’s employer’s liability insurance.

Access permission

Always obtain permission from the relevant landowner or tenant to enter any private land not subject to open access legislation before commencing fieldwork, and do not continue fieldwork if access permission is later revoked.

A letter confirming your participation in BTO fieldwork can be provided by the survey organiser on request; we are not able to release these personal details without confirmation that you are happy for us to do so, so please do not ask landowners to contact us directly. 

You may not need permission to count birds on Open Access land (in Scotland, please consult section 3.64 of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code) but it is courteous to contact the landowner and explain what you are doing and why, when it is practical to do so. Doing so may help alleviate any concerns the landowner might have and enable you to build a good relationship with them, both of which may help facilitate conservation efforts on that land.

You must abide by the official access codes 

Guidance for ringers outside and inside Scotland

Ringers must obtain permission to ring on Open Access land outside Scotland. Within Scotland, the situation with respect to Open Access land is less clear-cut so please consult and adhere to BTO's guidance.

Safeguarding

Our Safeguarding Policy sets out our approach and commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults who engage with BTO from harm and abuse, and you should ensure that you are familiar with this document if interacting with these groups.

All volunteers must inform the BTO if they are under 18 years of age. Parents or guardians of the under-18 will be asked to sign a parental consent form (DOC) stating that they agree to their child undertaking the activities and have made them aware of the associated risks.

Parental Consent Form (DOC)

Managing disease transmission between sites

Invasive species are easily spread on damp equipment and clothing, and can be small and hard to spot.

Removing plant materials and mud from your clothes and kit before leaving a site, either manually or by washing, will help to reduce the risks of transmission, both of these organisms and any pathogens, such as HPAI, contained in the substrate.

Use of disinfectant chemicals, where possible, will further decrease risks of disease transmission between sites, and is mandated for those involved in some bird ringing activities, where the probability of encountering the pathogen is highest, via the BTO HPAI Bird Ringing Framework.

Surveyor Health and Safety

As a BTO volunteer, you are under no obligation to participate in a survey or scheme, nor to visit a particular site through participation in that survey or scheme, even if local survey organisers or BTO staff have suggested or requested that you do so.

Health and Safety responsibility

Volunteers are responsible for their own health and safety, and should not put themselves in a position that could place them, or others, in danger. You should never undertake any work if you have concerns about your own or others health and safety. If you have any such concerns, you should stop fieldwork immediately.

  • If you have any health and safety concerns about taking part in a survey you should contact the survey organiser or healthandsafety [at] bto.org. 

Whilst you are responsible for your own health and safety and have access to the guidance and specific information on this page, we would like to hear from you in the event of a near-miss or accident that occurs during your volunteering activities. A near miss is defined as an event or situation which could have resulted in injury or damage. In other words, near misses are accidents that almost happened. Please email us with details to healthandsafety [at] bto.org. We will use reports received to influence any update to our guidance that might be necessary.

BTO Fieldwork Hazard Checklist

The aim of this checklist is to help you improve your own personal safety while carrying out BTO surveys by identifying potential hazards and  possible mitigating actions; the format is intended for easy translation to Risk Assessments should these be required.

  • Note that this information is for guidance only and may not be exhaustive with respect to potential hazards; BTO surveyors carry out a wide range of activities across a range of habitats and regions, and any assessment of risk should take all relevant local factors into account, in addition to any risks relevant to specific individuals (e.g. pre-existing medical conditions).

General fieldwork hazards

Danger of injury through accident

  • Identify potential hazards in daylight, on arrival at each site.
  • Wear suitable clothing and appropriate footwear for the location/terrain and weather conditions.
  • Use footpaths where possible.
  • Carry a mobile phone with sufficient charge and test for reception blackspots.
  • Carry a torch and spare batteries.
  • Carry a first aid kit, whistle and survival bag.
  • Ensure you have access to drinking water and food.
  • Avoid well known danger spots; do not cross railway lines or other potential hazardous sites e.g. quarries or ravines.
  • Heed warning signs and do not enter private (non-access) land that has been deliberately obstructed.
  • Avoid contact with livestock and agricultural machinery.

Lone working

  • Avoid lone working where possible.
  • If lone working, always notify someone (partner, friend, neighbour) where you are going, when you expect to be back and details of your vehicle. Agree on a course of action if you have not returned home by the time you stated.
  • Lone workers should be aware of the location of the nearest house or phone so that help can be called if required.

Inclement weather

  • Check weather forecast before leaving for fieldwork.
  • Wear appropriate clothing for the time of year, and be prepared for weather changes.
  • Carry waterproof and/or warm clothing. Hazards can increase significantly in heavy rain, strong wind and thunderstorms.
  • Avoid or terminate outside activity in inclement weather as appropriate.

Getting lost

Human confrontation

  • Consider your personal safety when conducting fieldwork within the vicinity of known or likely trouble spots.
  • Avoid confrontation with landowners, land workers or members of the public.
  • Consider the privacy of residents when performing early-morning survey work in residential areas.
  • If you have any concerns about your personal safety, cease fieldwork immediately.

Traffic and driving

  • High visibility clothing should be worn whenever working in the vicinity of roads, particularly at night.
  • Take care to park sensibly, preferably off-road, and do not block entrances.

Water features

  • Non-swimmers should be accompanied when walking by water.
  • Keep at safe distance from banks, cliffs and the water’s edge.
  • Do not cross rivers or streams unless by bridge.
  • Avoid work when there is a risk of flooding.
  • If operating below the high water mark, check high tide times before commencing fieldwork, and allow ample time to leave the intertidal area.

Trees

  • Be aware of low, fallen and hanging branches and take care to avoid them.
  • Do not climb trees or onto tree limbs.
  • Be aware of other wildlife when investigating tree cavities or nest boxes – especially bees, wasps and hornets.

Fencing

  • Avoid touching or climbing over electric fences.
  • Avoid touching or climbing over barbed-wire fences.
  • Ensure your tetanus vaccine is up to date.

Bees, wasps and hornets

  • Approach potential bee/wasp/hornet nest sites, e.g. tree cavities, with appropriate caution.
  • Carry appropriate personal medication if allergic.
  • Identify others with allergies if working in a group.

Unfamiliar dogs

  • Do not run away if approached by an unfamiliar dog, but stay calm and still and avoid direct eye contact as this can be seen as a form of aggression or a challenge.
  • Drop anything you are carrying that may have attracted the dog and try calmly telling the dog to sit or stay.
  • Ignore the dog if it jumps up – do not shout or push it away as it may see this as a game. If knocked to the ground, remain motionless in the foetal position and protect your face.
  • When you do move, move slowly and remain facing the dog.

Tetanus and Leptospirosis (Weil’s disease)

While not common, these diseases can have severe effects, and in rare cases result in death.

  • Clean any cuts, etc. immediately with clean water and cover adequately.
  • Ensure that your anti-tetanus treatments are up-to-date (normally within the last 10 years).
  • Avoid contact with water, particularly if contaminated with cattle/rat urine.
  • Wash hands thoroughly and always before eating or smoking.
  • If you contract flu-like symptoms, tell your doctor that you may have been exposed to Weil’s disease.

Lyme disease and Tick-borne Encephalitis

General bird-borne diseases and hygeine issues

Additional health and safety risks associated with ringing and nest recording

Bites and stings

  • Check for bees, wasps, hornets and fleas when visiting cavities or cleaning out nest boxes.
  • Wear gloves when cleaning out nest boxes.
  • Clean boxes in autumn (legal after 1 August) to avoid a build-up of fleas.

Injuries from talons or bills

  • Wear safety spectacles and gloves as appropriate.

Whoosh nets

  • Wear eye protection when setting nets.
  • Set in pairs, allowing one person to hold the peg in place while elastic is tensioned by a second person.
  • Use pegs of sufficient length and ensure they are securely hammered into the ground.
  • Do not use excessive tension.

Cannon nets

  • Refer to guidance in the Cannon-netting Manual (supplied to licensed cannon netters).

Ladder work

Climbing

Diseases, including avian influenza (bird flu)

The risk to volunteers from a wide range of diseases can be reduced via good hygiene practice. One of the diseases that ringers may come into contact with is HPAI (avian influenza/bird flu). The UK Health Security Agency has stated that AI is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low; humans can, however, become infected via close contact with infected birds or inhalation of aerosols containing virus, their droppings and nearby water. 

Personal hygiene

  • Avoid handling dead birds, or live birds which appear to be infected, their droppings, or any water nearby, with your bare hands. If handling is required, e.g. to read a ring, disposable nitrile gloves should be worn; if these are not available, an inverted plastic bag can be used. After use, the bag should be turned back on itself, placed in a second plastic bag, tied and disposed of in the normal household waste.
  • Wash hands with appropriate soaps/disinfectants after handling animals or coming into contact with animal droppings, soil, sand or water that may be contaminated,, e.g. soap and water, antibacterial wipes, 70% alcohol solution, or virucides (e.g. Safe4, Virkon). Note that some of the disinfectants used for AI precautions are teratogenic (can cause structural and functional changes to a foetus) and use by any person who is pregnant, or has a possibility of being pregnant, should be avoided under any circumstances. Inspect the Material Safety Data Sheet, provided by the manufacturer, for any disinfectants used.
  • Keep cuts and abrasions completely covered by a waterproof occlusive dressing. If a cut or abrasion occurs during ringing, clean the wound immediately with soap and water/antiseptic wipes and cover it with a waterproof dressing.
  • Avoid any activity during ringing sessions that might bring your hands close to your face until your hands are clean, e.g. rubbing your eyes, touching your mouth, eating, drinking or smoking. 
  • Remove any faeces deposited on hands or clothes as soon as possible, sanitising the area using the appropriate cleaning agent.
  • Employ appropriate levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Clothing and equipment hygiene
  • At the end of each session, wash/clean all ringing equipment, including bird bags, using the appropriate cleaning agent, away from food hygiene areas, and store it away from living areas. Note that some of the disinfectants used for AI precautions are teratogenic (can cause structural and functional changes to a foetus) and use by any person who is pregnant, or has a possibility of being pregnant, should be avoided under any circumstances. 
  • Avoid using fieldwork clothes for other purposes, wash them after each fieldwork session, and avoid mixing with non-fieldwork clothes in the wash. . Similarly, disinfect boots, and any clothes that cannot be placed in washing machine, at the end of each session, using the appropriate cleaning agent. 
  • Use sealed bags to transport solied clothes, equipment and sanitisation materials away from the ringing site. Dispose of solied sanitisation materials in domestic or commercial waste.
Ringing techniques
  • Handle birds in a well-lit and well-ventilated area to minimise the possibility of inhaling dried faecal or other material.
  • Open bird bags away from the face to avoid inhaling powdered faeces and feather scale.
  • Minimise the time spent on activities that necessitate blowing to part feathers (e.g. assessing moult, brood patch scores) and move your face away from the bird to inhale. If using a tube, ensure that the same end is always placed in the mouth. 
Symptoms of avian influenza and seeking medical advice
  • Familiarise yourself with the symptoms of Avian Influenza in birds. These signs vary between species but include: swollen head; blue discolouration of the neck and throat; loss of appetite; respiratory distress such as gaping beak, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, rattling; diarrhoea; fewer eggs laid; increased mortality; neurological signs such as trembling, falling over, swimming or walking in circles.
  • Familiarise yourself with the symptoms of Avian Influenza in humans. These symptoms include: conjunctivitis; fever with a temperature >=38ºC; cough or shortness of breath requiring hospitalisation; diarrhoea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Learn more about the symptoms of avian influenza on the NHS website.
  • Seek medical advice immediately should you display symptoms of any illness that may be related to ringing or nest recording, inform your GP or healthcare provider that you may have been exposed to HPAI and other potential avian zoonoses.

Rabies

Rabies may be encountered via bats caught in mist nets.

  • Ensure you have up to date rabies vaccination if the probability of capturing bats is significant.
  • Avoid sites/times of day when the probability of capturing bats is greatest.
  • If a bat is caught in a mist net, wear gloves during extraction.
  • If bitten, wash the wound immediately with soap and water for at least five minutes and cleanse with disinfectant.
  • Seek immediate medical advice from your GP, even if you have up to date rabies vaccinations.

Further information

Further information about the Countryside Code and countryside access issues:

Further information about using a map and compass: 

Further information on bird diseases and hygiene:

For a wide range of health and safety information, visit the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) website. The following guides are particularly relevant:

This information covers volunteers working in the UK. Volunteers working outside of the UK should seek information from relevant sources. 

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