HAZARD CHECKLIST FOR OVERSEAS RISK ASSESSMENT
Name of staff member completing
Hazard checklist
School/Department
Dates of Travel
Date completed
Name(s) of
staff/students travelling
Current Foreign and
Commonwealth Office
(FCO) Advice for the
country(s) being visited
Itinerary Details (eg.
Destination, locations to
be visited and work
activities during visit)
This Risk Assessment Checklist should be completed by the main organiser of the trip overseas and/or
leading the group overseas. The assessment should be based on previous knowledge, information from the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreigncommonwealth-office, the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website
http://www.nathnac.org/, travel agents and contacts in the place being visited.
The following checklist covers the potential hazards, and based on your assessment please add any
additional ones not on this checklist. Take into account the country being visited, any local areas being
visited as part of the trip and any activities undertaken during the trip. Reference should be made to the
GCU Health and Safety Guidance for Travelling Overseas and the GCU Framework for Staff travelling
overseas. Where the travel is part of a student placement or fieldwork is being undertaken then please refer
to the relevant GCU guidance – further information can be obtained from the GCU Health and Safety Team.
Hazard/Risk Factor
Significant Risk
YES
NO N/
A
Provide details of the hazard and
precautions being taken
1. Have you checked the relevant
information regarding the required
vaccinations for the country being
visited?
2. Are the travelling staff/student
vaccinations up-to-date for the
country being visited?
3. Have you obtained a copy of the
University travel insurance
document?
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4. Climate - Is the country being
visited known for climatic extremes
e.g. dry/desert/intense sun,
storms/typhoons, monsoon/high
humidity, extremes of hot/cold,
avalanche, earthquake, volcano,
tidal extremes, oxygen deficiency
etc? (take into consideration the
risk if outdoor work is involved).
5. Is the country being visited known
for Civil unrest, political tension, risk
of kidnaps/abductions,
muggings/robbery,
vandalism/violence, crime?
6. Have any local environment issues
been evaluated e.g. culture,
customs, dress, religion, local
laws/other standards,
language/communication
difficulties, legal differences?
7. Physical Hazards – will the trip
involve any severe terrain
exposure? e.g. mountains, cliffs,
glaciers, crevasses, ice falls, caves,
mines, quarries, forests, fresh
water, sea and seashore, marshes
and quicksand.
8. Biological Hazards – during the trip
is there a risk of contact with
wild/domestic
venomous/aggressive animals,
insects, reptiles e.g., bites, stings,
dermatitis, rabies etc. (Nb: ensure
all relevant vaccinations are up-todate)
9. Biological Hazards – during the trip
is there any soil or plant risks
involved, for example, during
fieldwork?
10. If equipment is being taken, is it fit
for purpose, suitable for transport,
maintained, capable of repair on
site, instruction for proper use
available, is any back-up equipment
required?
11. If electrical equipment is being
taken, is it compatible? ( e.g. safety
standards etc).
12. Is there a risk of contaminated food
and/or water during the trip?
(e.g. is drinkable water available or
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water purification tablets
required/available)
13. Is there a risk of disease or ill-health
from food and drink, for example,
allergy, diarrhoea, legionella,
tetanus etc?
14. Is there a risk of any health issues
e.g. Contaminated needles/sexual
contact – HIV, Hepatitis B,
asthma/allergies, diseases &
parasites, for example, Lyme’s
disease, malaria, rabies,
leptospirosis, yellow fever,
tapeworms, Hepatitis A, cholera,
polio, typhoid, dysentery, tetanus?
(Nb: ensure all relevant vaccinations
are up-to-date)
15. Is there a risk of ill-health due to
pollution, radiation etc
16. Will the trip involve any high hazard
work (e.g. excavation, confined
spaces where a permit to work or a
safe system of work is required)?
17. Will the trip involve working with
any hazardous
substances/chemicals?
18. For fieldwork/outdoor work – has
food provisions, preparation,
storage and availablitiy of fuel for
cooking being taken into
consideration?
19. Have any special dietary needs been
actioned?
20. Has the transportation been
assessed – competent drivers,
suitable transport, terrain,
suitability and maintenance of
vehicle?
21. Communication – has a method of
routine and emergency
communication been established
and are accident and emergency
plans in place?
22. Stress – take into consideration, for
example, excessive schedule,
accommodation problems,
remoteness, sickness, lack of
support, fatigue?
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23. Emergencies – are arrangements for
first aid and other assistance
including contact numbers in place?
24. Access arrangements in place, for
example, permission to work at site
obtained, if needed, provision made
for disabled, if needed; additional
insurance, if necessary, arranged?
25. Where any staff/students going on
the trip have declared a pre-existing
medical issue that may affect their
ability to travel - have they been
cleared for travel by their GP?
(Please provide further details in section
36)
(A GP can be consulted if there are
any doubts. All travel companies
make arrangements if they are
given adequate notice).
26. Where there is a particular risk of
infection or injury, have you made
arrangements for an appropriate
first aid kit?
27. Has any training been identified and
has this been completed?
28. Have the staff/students travelling
been informed of health and safety
information for the trip including
long haul flight risks, for example,
DVT ?
29. Have the emergency numbers for
the country being visited been
issued to all staff/students on the
trip?
30. Have the staff/students on the trip
been advised of what is expected of
them?
31. Have staff/student ratios have been
considered, if appropriate?
32. For
specialist
or
hazardous
activities, has the competency of all
staff/leaders on the trip been
assessed as adequate?
33. Has contingency been made in the
event of travel interruption,
accommodation, business plans?
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34. Is there any other hazards
associated with the trip?
35.
Emergency Details
Please provide the following information (where several staff/students are travelling, a separate sheet to
log names/contact numbers etc may be required):
Main contact at GCU (Name/telephone number):
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Emergency contact for you on placement (Name/address/telephone number):
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Main contact at overseas host University/local agency/Other (Name/telephone number/email):
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Staff/student name(s) and registration number(s):
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Staff/student contact number(s): …………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
Next of Kin name (please note relationship) and contact number (if different from above) for staff/students
on trip:
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Staff/student medical issues: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
(Note: no member of staff or student is permitted to travel on University business against the advice of their GP)
Note: In the event of an emergency, please provide 24 hour contact numbers, for example, mobile, home,
work, hotel, etc
Head of Department Signature: ……………………………….
Date: …………………………………….
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