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A wide range of activities, environmental conditions and hazards are common to field operations, requiring special care and attention on the part of those involved directly, and on the part of supervisory staffs responsible for the control of such operations.
This guide has been prepared accordingly, to focus attention on some major areas of concern, and to serve as a basis for the development of more detailed departmental safety rules and procedures. Particular note should be made of action to be taken before personnel are dispatched on any field operation: thorough planning and careful preparation are essential to the continued safety and good health of those involved.
Field operations, particularly those undertaken in isolated areas, expose personnel to a wide range of unique occupational risks and hazards. The purpose of this guide, therefore, is to provide an outline of basic occupational health and safety practices and procedures which may be applied and further developed as required by departments.
This guide applies to all Public Service Departments and Agencies, as defined in Part I of Schedule I of the Public Service Staff Relations Act.
In this guide:
field officer means a party chief or other officer to whom, during field operations, is delegated the responsibility to manage a project, or a part thereof (agent des opérations sur le terrain);
field operations means those operations and activities conducted by individuals or groups of persons away from the department's premises, such as surveys of an engineering and research nature, forest fire fighting, rescue operations or work parties (opérations sur le terrain).
Departments undertaking field operations should, based on the general requirements of this guide, issue detailed safety directives governing the conduct of field operations, appropriate to the particular risks and hazards which may be foreseen. In this regard, the following general practices are recommended:
Members of the field party should be briefed by the designated safety officer on the basic safety and health rules to be observed according to the type of field operation and the expected environment, including the following:
Departments should ensure that all field and safety equipment is checked for suitability and serviceability prior to issue, and re-checked by field and/or safety officers on receipt. Personnel should be instructed on the proper use, care and maintenance of field and safety equipment.
Comprehensive safety guidelines, embodied in the Transport Canada publication Boating Safety Guide, concerning the use of boats, both powered and unpowered, should be followed. The wearing of approved type life jackets should be enforced in accordance with the provisions of the Personal protective equipment directive, chapter 2-14.
Safety rules concerning the operation of snowmobiles, such as those outlined in the booklet "Play Safe with Snowmobiles" (available from the Canada Safety Council), should be followed. In addition, snowmobiles should be operated in compliance with local regulations governing their use. Additional safe operating procedures are contained in the Safety guide for operations over ice, chapter 5-3.
Departmental safety rules and procedures concerning the operation and use of government-owned or leased motor vehicles and trailers, encompassing the applicable requirements of the Motor vehicle operations directive, chapter 2-11, should be developed and enforced.
Personnel performing diving duties should be physically and mentally fit to perform each task, and be in possession of a valid certificate of qualification satisfactory to the department.
The field officer in charge should ensure, as far as is practicable, that personnel involved in the preparation and serving of food are free from any communicable disease, and that sanitation and shelter facilities are maintained in a manner that does not constitute a health or ecological hazard.
All field operation crews exposed to hazards from vehicular traffic should wear a high visibility vest or other similar clothing, and use appropriate warning signs or be protected by a high visibility barricade in accordance with the Personal protective equipment directive, chapter 2-14.
All heaters, gasoline stoves and lanterns should be carefully fuelled and lighted, and care should be taken to keep all open-flame models away from combustible materials. During the use of such equipment in tents, shelters, or any confined enclosure, adequate ventilation should be assured to eliminate the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning or oxygen deficiency.
No person should be allowed to handle or use a firearm unless the department is satisfied as to that person's sense of responsibility, competence and demonstrated knowledge of accepted safety practices in the use of firearms.
Good industrial safety practices and departmental regulations, where applicable, should be followed with respect to the handling, preparation or firing of explosive charges. Information in this regard is available from Labour Canada in Technical Data Sheet "The Safe Use of Explosives in Federal Enterprises". The Explosives Act of Canada should also be observed.
Basic fire fighting rules and procedures should be developed and enforced for specific field operations consistent with the general requirements and standards prescribed by the Dominion Fire Commissioner. Provincial forestry requirements should be observed where applicable. Fire fighting should be controlled by experienced crew leaders, and appropriate safety clothing and footwear worn.
The safety of personnel travelling by air is a prime consideration when making arrangements for transport by charter aircraft. Departments should conclude contracts only with those air carriers who have demonstrated compliance with Transport Canada directives relating to air carriers. These directives are found in the Air Navigation Orders (ANOs) available from Supply and Services Canada, which contain safety-related regulations; designated safety officers should carefully review the following ANOs, as appropriate, before the operation begins:
Non-compliance with these safety procedures, or any other unsafe practices or conditions, should be reported to Transport Canada, ASP, Transport Canada Building, Ottawa, K1A 0N8.
A seatbelt is required for every passenger. The seatbelt should be secured during takeoff and landing and whenever considered necessary by the flight crew. Each passenger seat shall be provided with printed information listing the emergency equipment carried, and the location and operation of emergency exits. The emergency equipment and rations detailed in ANO V, 12, shall be carried on all flights conducted within the "sparsely settled area" which is defined in the order. There should be a readily-accessible lifejacket or flotation device for each person on board a floatplane, and the location of these made known to the passengers by the pilot or aircrew.
The probable temperature in the area of the flight should be known, and appropriate footwear (not street oxfords) and clothing worn or carried, including clothing to protect against insects in summer months.
All aircraft are required to carry a compact radio, which transmits a distinctive signal on the emergency frequency of 121.5 mHz for the detection and location of downed aircraft. It will normally be triggered "on" automatically during a forced landing. If the ELT is not automatically triggered, it can be turned on manually. The battery life of an ELT is at least 100 hours, and signals can be heard up to 100 miles (160 km) away by high-flying aircraft. The ELT provides a homing signal to pinpoint location and greatly reduces time-to-rescue.
Information on the location and operation of the ELT is placarded in the cabin, and its location is marked externally on the aircraft. It is usually mounted behind the cabin or to the rear of the aircraft. Before boarding the aircraft the crew should describe the location and operation of the ELT.
More information on the ELT and the search and rescue system is given in a colour slide/sound presentation available on loan from any Regional Office of Transport Canada.
The purpose of the flightplan is to ensure that a record is available if an emergency develops. For every flight, a flightplan form should be filed by the pilot through the company (or an agent) for transmission to air traffic control. If this is not possible, the pilot is required to notify a responsible person of his proposed flight by means of a flight notification or flight itinerary. This should specify the estimated duration of the flight or series of flights, the estimated time of return, the route or the area boundaries of the flight operation, and the location of any overnight stops.
The pilot is responsible for the safe conduct of the flight, and should not be unnecessarily distracted from the task of flying. Passengers should not request changes from the flightplan for personal reasons such as sightseeing, photography, low flying, etc.
It is the pilot's responsibility to determine if weather conditions are suitable for a safe flight, and passengers should not attempt to influence the pilot's decision in this regard. Normally, safe visual flight, i.e. flight with visual reference to the ground, requires a 1000-ft (300 m) cloud ceiling and 3 miles (4.8 km) forward visibility. However, minimum requirements permit flight with a 700-ft (210 m) cloud ceiling and 1 mile (1.6 km) forward visibility. If weather falls below these limits, visual flight must be discontinued. Visual flight above a cloud layer is not permitted.
Personal baggage and equipment should be properly secured. When cargo is carried in the cabin with passengers, it should be secured by nets, strapping or other tied down to prevent shifting in flight. Cargo should not be placed so as to restrict the use of emergency or regular exits. It is the pilot's responsibility not to exceed the aircraft's total "maximum gross weight", and to ensure that the load is distributed so that the aircraft is within its centre of gravity limits. Passengers carrying their own baggage and equipment should ask the pilot where it is to be placed; the pilot should not be pressed to put on extra items that might overload the aircraft.
Every year rotating propellers and rotors cause fatal and serious injuries because they are difficult to see when in motion. Passengers should not board, leave or work around aircraft when propellers or rotors are in motion. The helicopter is often an exception to this rule, when rotors must be kept in motion at remote landing sites. Passengers should receive a thorough briefing from the pilot or crew member before boarding or leaving a running helicopter. Most accidents occur when persons walk into the tail rotor. The safe procedure is to crouch low and approach or depart the helicopter from the side or the front but never near the tail rotor area. Never walk downslope toward the helicopter and never walk upslope away from the helicopter.
A passenger should not normally perform any crew function unless safety is otherwise in jeopardy. In any case, a passenger must receive a thorough briefing, including safety procedures, from the pilot or flight crew member. An inexperienced floatplane passenger attempting to assist the pilot to dock is exposed to extreme danger from the rotating propeller. Passengers have been struck by propellers while walking forward to the front end of the float to tie the aircraft to a dock or mooring point. After docking, twin-engine floatplanes create a hazard to persons when rotating propellers overhang the dock. Passengers should not disembark from these aircraft until the propellers are stopped.
Additional safety information is given in a colour slide/sound presentation entitled "Safety Around Small Aircraft", available from any Regional Office of Labour Canada.
In addition to other applicable safety standards, procedures and guides approved by the Treasury Board for the Public Service, the following specific documents should be reviewed in conjunction with this guide, and applied as appropriate:
This chapter replaces chapter 5-4 of PMM volume 12.
Enquiries should be directed to the responsible officers in departments headquarters, who in turn, may seek interpretation from the following:
Safety, Health and Employee Services Group
Staff Relations Division
Human Resources Policy Branch
Treasury Board Secretariat
