Please read the Ny-Ålesund Researcher's Guide about safety in Ny-Ålesund.

Everyone working in the lab or with hazardous materials needs to know the standard operating procedures, safety instructions and proper use of protective equipment.

The use of motorized vehicles or snowscooters at AWIPEV requires a valid driving license. Additionally a general introduction about scooters and how to drive safely will be given by the station staff. Helmets are mandatory.

Use of the AWIPEV boats requires a valid boating permit as well as an introduction to boating regulations and training on site by the AWIPEV staff. The use of survival suits is mandatory for all boats without a closed cabin.

Projects working in challenging terrains such as glaciers or mountain sites need to train for these conditions before arrival.

AWIPEV offers field safety equipment such as glacier safety kits, climbing equipment, working in heights equipment, survivalsuits - but it is the responsibility of the project leader to make sure all team members are trained to use it properly.

All trips outside town have to be announced and agreed upon with the stationteam/person on duty. All excursions are logged in an excursion monitoring system and checking in amp; out via VHF is mandatory. Appropriate means of communication and safety equipment have to be taken.

AWIPEV station provides handheld VHF, satellite phones, InReach, emergency beacons and GPS. Other field safety equipment such as emergency bags, glacier safety kits, climbing equipment, working in heights equipment, survivalsuits is also availible. It is the responsibility of the project leader to make sure all team members are trained to use it properly.

For all fieldwork outside the settlement of Ny-Ålesund you must be equipped with appropriate means of protection against polar bears (rifle and flare gun).

To carry a rifle on Svalbard, you must either hold a valid Norwegian firearms permit or a valid European firearms pass, or you must apply for a permit to borrow a firearm with the Governor of Svalbard.

AWIPEV guests can then borrow rifles and flare guns from AWIPEV if they have a valid certificate from a polar bear protection course at either AWI or Kings Bay. It is also mandatory to do a yearly refresher on site.

AWI offers regular courses for polar bear protection in Bremerhaven. Please check here for the specific dates and registration.

Note: The village can only be left with a valid license since a rifle must be carried. If you have no license you must be accompanied by someone who has a license and rifle.

For more information about procedures in Ny-Ålesund please read the Ny-Ålesund Researcher’s Guide.

All AWIPEV pojects are required to have a risk assessment for their activities in the field and at the station. Resulting safety measures have to be taken and operating instructions are to be shared with all team members.

Send your risk assessment to logistics (at) awipev.eu and stationleader (at) awipev.eu at least 6 weeks before your trip.

For process instruction how to accomplish a risk assessment, please refer to the HSE department of your home institution. AWI-internal projects can access according documentation in Confluence. An introduction to the topic is also given each year at the AWIPEV Introductory Seminar.

You may use the AWI risk assessment template or a corresponding document with similar content.

Regardless of all precautions it is inevitable that mistakes and incidents will happen. In order to at least learn from them and avoid similar incidents in the future, all incidents or ‚near-misses‘ should be reported. Please use the incident report document and submit to the station leader. It is possible to do this anonymously.

All trips outside town have to be announced and agreed upon with the stationteam/person on duty. All excursions are logged in an excursion monitoring system and checking in & out via VHF is mandatory. Appropriate means of communication and safety equipment have to be taken.

AWIPEV station provides handheld VHF, satellite phones, InReach, emergency beacons and GPS. Other field safety equipment such as emergency bags, glacier safety kits, climbing equipment, working in heights equipment, survivalsuits is also availible. It is the responsibility of the project leader to make sure all team members are trained to use it properly.

For all fieldwork outside the settlement of Ny-Ålesund you must be equipped with appropriate means of protection against polar bears (rifle and flare gun).

To carry a rifle on Svalbard, you must either hold a valid Norwegian firearms permit or a valid European firearms pass, or you must apply for a permit to borrow a firearm with the Governor of Svalbard.

AWIPEV guests can then borrow rifles and flare guns from AWIPEV if they have a valid certificate from a polar bear protection course at either AWI or Kings Bay. It is also mandatory to do a yearly refresher on site.

AWI offers regular courses for polar bear protection in Bremerhaven. Please check here for the specific dates and registration.

Note: The village can only be left with a valid license since a rifle must be carried. If you have no license you must be accompanied by someone who has a license and rifle.

For more information about procedures in Ny-Ålesund please read the   Ny-Ålesund Researcher’s Guide.

Working successfully together in a close community and challenging environment requires a good conduct of every team member.

AWI requires each expedition participant to read and acknowledge the Code of Conduct for Expeditions. It includes the ‘Sexual Misconduct Policy’ and the ‘Drug and Alcohol Policy’.

The station staff at AWIPEV functions also as person of trust for all AWIPEV station guests.

Additionally, both AWI and IPEV have procedures to deal with haressment or other incidents of misconduct. Information can be found at the station infoboard in the Blue House.