Field Trips
and Workers Compensation cover
Field trips, in this context, are defined as any work, research,
study or activity approved by a School or Section's responsible
person and undertaken by staff members off campus at an urban,
rural, freshwater or marine location. This often involves
work in locations that isolate participants from ready access
to the emergency services present in larger towns and cities.
In this context a field trip does not include inter-campus
travel, meetings off-site, attendance at conferences or journeys
undertaken with the purpose of supervision of students on
clinical/work experience placements as part of their formal
program of study.
The Workers
Rehabilitation and Compensation Act, 1986, clearly excludes
journey injuries arising during everyday travel to and from
the staff member's home and work.
With regard to field trips:
- If a staff member undertakes a field trip starting from
/ returning to the University then accidents arising during
travel to and from the field trip will be covered
under the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act, 1986,
because it is clear that the travel relates to the staff
member's work.
- If a staff member undertakes a field trip starting from
/ returning to the staff member's private residence then
accidents arising during travel to and from the field trip
may be covered under the Workers Rehabilitation and
Compensation Act, 1986.
The determination of whether or not particular circumstances
relating to travel undertaken during a field trip are covered
by the Act can only be made when all of the circumstances
relating to a particular claim are evaluated.
To help clarify the circumstances should an accident occur,
a field trip form
must be completed prior to departure if staff
plan to begin their field trip from their home and/or return
directly to their home rather than travelling via the University.
If the form is not completed prior to departure on such a
field trip then proof that the travel was a bona fide field
trip will be less clear. The process of determination of a
travel related claim may then be delayed.
Last revised: 6 March 2007
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