Field Safety & Security Checklist for Staff Travelling to the Field

Too much is still unprepared for a safe field trip. Go back to the risk assessment and approval, build the communications and check-in plan, sort transport, documents, and medical, and complete the security briefing before treating travel as an option.

17 critical item(s) still unchecked

Pre-travel risk assessment & approval

• A written risk assessment for this specific route, destination, and dates has been completed and reviewed by a manager or security focal point.critical
• The trip is formally approved in writing by the line manager or designated approver, and no security stop-order or access freeze applies to the destination.critical
• The security situation along the route and at the destination has been checked within the last 24-48 hours (clashes, checkpoints, curfews, road or bridge closures, recent incidents).critical
• Clear go / no-go criteria and red lines for this trip are agreed, so the team knows in advance what conditions force a turnaround or postponement.
• The organisation is known and accepted by relevant authorities, communities, and armed actors along the route, and any required travel authorisation or notification has been arranged.
• Travellers are briefed, physically and mentally fit for the journey, and no one is travelling alone where the context requires a buddy or minimum team size.

Communications & check-in plan

• A check-in schedule is agreed with a named focal point, including departure, key waypoints, arrival, and return, with set times to report in.critical
• An overdue or missed check-in protocol is in place — who is alerted, after how long, and what actions they take — and every traveller knows it.critical
• At least one backup means of communication is carried for areas with no mobile network or during internet shutdowns (second SIM or operator, satellite phone, two-way radio, or offline messaging).critical
• Phones and devices are fully charged and a power bank, car charger, or spare battery is packed for a multi-day or remote trip.
• Emergency and key contacts are saved and also written on paper: focal point, manager, driver, nearest health facility, and trusted local contacts.
• Devices are set up for the context — sensitive data minimised or encrypted, and no information is carried that could endanger staff, partners, or beneficiaries at a checkpoint or search.

Transport & driver

• The vehicle is roadworthy and pre-checked: tyres including spare, brakes, lights, fuel, oil, water, and a working jack and tools.critical
• The driver is trusted, briefed on the route and check-in plan, knows the area, and is fit and rested to drive the full distance.critical
• There is enough fuel for the round trip plus a margin for detours, and fuel availability along the route has been confirmed where shortages are likely.
• The route, expected travel time, and any timing constraints (curfew, daylight-only travel, checkpoint hours) are planned, with the aim of avoiding night travel.
• At least one alternative route and safe stopping or turnaround points are identified in case the primary road is blocked or unsafe.
• Vehicle marking or visibility matches the context — clearly identified where acceptance is high, or low-profile where a marked vehicle would attract risk.

Medical & first aid

• A stocked, in-date first-aid kit is in the vehicle and at least one traveller knows how to use it.critical
• Travellers carry their own personal medication and supplies for the full trip plus a buffer, and any serious medical condition or allergy is known to the team.critical
• The nearest functioning health facility or clinic to the destination is identified, with its location, contact, and route noted.
• A medical evacuation or casualty-transport plan is understood — how a sick or injured person would be moved to care given the road and security conditions.critical
• Sufficient drinking water, basic food, and protection against heat, sun, rain, or cold are packed for the conditions and possible delays.
• Seasonal and local health risks are accounted for (malaria or dengue precautions, monsoon flooding and waterborne disease, snake-bite, extreme heat).

Documents & cash

• Travellers carry valid ID, organisational identification, and any required travel authorisation, recommendation, or permission letters for the route.critical
• Copies of key documents are held separately — a second set with the traveller and a set left with the office or focal point.
• Enough cash for the trip plus a contingency reserve is carried discreetly and split between people or places, not all in one wallet.
• Travellers have a clear, consistent, and honest account of who they are and why they are travelling, appropriate for checkpoints and questioning.
• No documents, photos, or files are carried that could put staff, partners, or communities at risk if the vehicle or devices are searched.
• Practical travel items are packed: notebook and pen, receipt book or expense tools, programme paperwork, and any beneficiary or distribution documents needed.

Security briefing

• Every traveller has received a security briefing covering the current threats, do's and don'ts, and expected behaviour for this destination.critical
• Travellers know how to behave at checkpoints and during searches or questioning — stay calm and polite, keep hands visible, do not argue, and do not photograph.critical
• Immediate actions for likely incidents are understood (crossfire or shelling, detention, ambush or robbery, harassment, accident), including who to call and what to say.
• Sensitive behaviours to avoid are clear — no unauthorised photography of military, checkpoints, or installations, and care with what is posted on social media.
• Where relevant, travellers are briefed on landmine and unexploded-ordnance risk: stay on known safe paths and tarmac, and never enter unmarked or off-road areas.critical
• Travellers know how to receive security updates en route and have agreed how the team will share warnings if the situation changes.

Conflict-sensitivity & do-no-harm

• Travellers will maintain and visibly demonstrate impartiality and neutrality, and avoid any words, symbols, or actions read as taking sides.
• Local cultural, religious, ethnic, and gender norms are understood and respected, including appropriate dress, language, and who to approach in the community.
• Entry to the community is arranged through trusted local contacts or leaders, and travel does not expose partners or beneficiaries to suspicion or reprisal.
• Travellers will not make promises or raise expectations that cannot be met, and understand how their presence and aid could affect local tensions.
• Information about beneficiaries, partners, and the security situation is handled carefully — confidentiality protected and nothing shared that could cause harm.
• The team will keep an appropriate, low-key profile that fits the setting and does not draw unwanted attention to the organisation or the community.

Contingency & evacuation

• Clear triggers for suspending the trip or leaving an area are agreed in advance, so the team acts on warning signs instead of waiting and hoping.critical
• An evacuation or withdrawal plan is understood — primary and alternative exit routes, a rally point, and who decides and gives the order to move.critical
• If leaving is not possible, a hibernation or shelter-in-place option is known — a safer location, what to do, and how to stay in contact.
• Essentials for a sudden departure or unplanned overnight are ready and reachable: water, basic food, cash, documents, phone and charger, medication, and a torch.
• Each traveller knows their role and the chain of decision-making in an emergency, so no one waits for instructions that may never arrive.
• There is a plan to confirm safe return, debrief the team, and report any incident or near-miss so lessons feed back into the next trip.