Overseas working

Introduction

Many University of Glasgow staff and students will periodically carry out work overseas.  This may involve short and longer term field work, attendance at conference and meetings and a range of other activities.  Often, such work will involve minimal risk to the health and safety of individual or exposure only to risks that are comparable to work within the UK.  However, in some cases individuals may potentially be exposed to significant risks that can be very different from those with which they are familiar. Unless steps are taken to manage these risks this may place staff and students working overseas at increased risk of harm.

The University recognises that it owes all staff and students a duty of care and must ensure, as a matter or moral and legal principle, that staff or students who do work overseas are protected, so far as is reasonably practicable, from risks to their health and safety.

Legal position

In strict legal terms the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 does not apply to work that is carried out overseas.  However, as the organisation and planning of overseas trips does take place within the UK, the enforcing authorities would certainly expect these elements of the work be carried out with the same degree of due diligence and regard to risk management as would be required if the work was to be conducted within the UK.   The University therefore expects those arranging such work to apply similar standards of safety management to the organisation of overseas work. 

Authorisation must be obtained at Head of College, Secretary of Court level before undertaking any travel that is against Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice. 

Where work is carried out abroad the law of the area in which the work is being done will normally apply to the conduct of the work itself. Therefore, in planning some types of more complex overseas work specialist local safety advice may be required to ensure that work is conducted legally. Wherever practicable, organisers should aim to achieve standards of safety practice that are comparable to UK standards unless more stringent local rules apply.

Risk assessment

In practice, methodical planning of overseas trips by following a structured risk assessment based approach should enable most hazards to be identified and managed. 

Where travel only is involved and the risks are judged to be low and comparable to those encountered during travel within the UK, a specific written risk assessment is unlikely to be necessary for every individual journey but could be dealt with within a generic risk assessment covering travel.  A form suitable for this type of travel risk assessment is available from the Finance Office travel insurance webpage.

Where travel is in more hazardous areas, and certainly where practical work is carried out as part of the trip, a more detailed written risk assessment of the activity as a whole would generally be needed.  The decision on what level of formal assessment is needed is a matter of judgement and individual management units should consider the level of risk inherent in the type of overseas work their staff and student do and to what extent it is appropriate to require formal risk assessment procedures to this.

The  National Environmental Research Council (NERC) have also produced some useful practical guidance that is well worth a look and provides a practical framework for assessment and management of overseas work. (see link)