The Geology Department is an old building. As a result, there are a number of potential hazards that may arise.

The
Department will endeavour to identify and control against these.
2.2. Fire hazard is important in an old building. Fire wardens are appointed for the whole building, under the general
direction of the Health and Safety Officer. Fire drills will be held at least twice a year, and the fire alarm will be tested
at intervals. Lecturers are responsible for ensuring the safe evacuation of their classes in the event of an emergency.
To this end, clear signage will be displayed in lecture theatres and teaching areas (or the relevant authority notified).
Flammable chemicals must only be used in designated areas where there are procedures set out for their use.
Storage is in appropriate fireproof containers as approved by the University.
2.3. Rocks are heavy materials. Carrying large rocks and other heavy objects around the Department, especially up
and down stairs, should be carried out with care and caution. Certain areas such as laboratories, workshops and
some teaching areas are designated CLOSED FOOTWEAR AREAS. Wearing of open-toed footwear such as
jandals or sandals in these areas is not permitted.
2.4. All electrical appliances will be inspected at regular intervals by a competent person (see HS/N2S3760:2003) or
registered electrician as required by the University Health and Safety regulations. No interference with or rewiring of
any electrical appliance other than by a registered electrician is permitted. No unauthorized electrical appliance may
be connected to the departmental electrical supply.
The Geology Department is an old building. As a result, there are a number of potential hazards that may arise. The
Department will endeavour to identify and control against these.
2.2. Fire hazard is important in an old building. Fire wardens are appointed for the whole building, under the general
direction of the Health and Safety Officer. Fire drills will be held at least twice a year, and the fire alarm will be tested
at intervals. Lecturers are responsible for ensuring the safe evacuation of their classes in the event of an emergency.
To this end, clear signage will be displayed in lecture theatres and teaching areas (or the relevant authority notified).
Flammable chemicals must only be used in designated areas where there are procedures set out for their use.
Storage is in appropriate fireproof containers as approved by the University.
2.3. Rocks are heavy materials. Carrying large rocks and other heavy objects around the Department, especially up
and down stairs, should be carried out with care and caution. Certain areas such as laboratories, workshops and
some teaching areas are designated CLOSED FOOTWEAR AREAS. Wearing of open-toed footwear such as
jandals or sandals in these areas is not permitted.
2.4. All electrical appliances will be inspected at regular intervals by a competent person (see HS/N2S3760:2003) or
registered electrician as required by the University Health and Safety regulations. No interference with or rewiring of
any electrical appliance other than by a registered electrician is permitted. No unauthorized electrical appliance may
be connected to the departmental electrical supply.

Safety rules which apply to all Geology laboratories:

All of the Geology Department rooms in the Mudd, Olin and Hulings halls which are accessible to students
are considered "laboratories" for the purposes of this plan.
Potentially hazardous machines such as rock saws, grinders, crushers and splitters, gasoline powered saws
and drills, and instruments which involve flames, radioactive emissions or strong electromagnetic fields,
shall be used only after instruction by a faculty member or other qualified person.
The highest risk chemicals or equipment are those which upon contact may cause injury requiring medical
attention. The Geology Department prohibits work with highest risk chemicals or equipment, including
equipment that involves flames, between the hours of 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. or when the worker is the only
person in the laboratory area. During breaks in the academic calendar, people using high risk materials
and equipment should work during business hours when help is readily available in case of emergency.
The equipment involving flames includes the Fluxy XRF sample preparer, the atomic absorption
spectrophotometer, or any reaction using a Bunsen burner.
Equipment which during normal use can cause eye injury by explosion or emission of particles will be
posted with a sign requiring eye protection during use. This equipment includes the Fluxy XRF sample
preparer and the atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
Prohibitions:

Bare feet are prohibited in Geology laboratories.

Riding of bicycles, unicycles, roller blades or any other wheeled conveyance is prohibited in any
Geology hallways or rooms.

Parking or storing bicycles in Geology labs is prohibited.

Throwing Frisbees, balls, hacky sacks, water balloons, or other objects is prohibited in Geology
hallways and rooms.

Horseplay, rough-housing and practical jokes are prohibited in labs.

Running is prohibited in any Geology laboratories or hallways.

Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in academic buildings, except for registered events, by the Carleton
College Student Handbook.
Safety with hazardous chemicals: Refer to Appendix 1 - CHEMICAL HYGIENE PLAN, below.
In case of injury: Refer to Appendix 2, TREATMENT OF INJURED PERSONS, below.
Each lab is supplied with a first aid kit.
There are telephones in each room for summoning emergency help. In case of emergency, if the injuries
do not require an ambulance call Campus Security Services at ext. 4444. In cases where an ambulance is
needed dial 911 first, and then call Security Services to notify them of the emergency.

If an injury breaks the skin, inform the lab instructor or lab assistant immediately.

If chemicals get in the eye, go directly to the eyewash and begin flushing with water. Inform the
lab instructor or lab assistant.

If ingestion or inhalation of a chemical occurs, inform the lab instructor or lab assistant
immediately.

Injuries that break the victim's skin or cause skin to blister will be reported on a department injury
report form. The form will detail the name of the injured, the type of injury, the circumstances of
the injury and the action taken. The same will be done for eye injuries requiring the use of the
eyewash or ingestion or inhalation of any laboratory reagent. No matter how minor the injury is
perceived to be, the injured will always be advised to report to the Health Center or the hospital
emergency room. Security Services may be called to transport the injured (see Appendix 2).
Departmental injury forms will be kept on file in the Geology Department Office for ten years
following the incident.

APPENDIX 1 - CHEMICAL HYGIENE PLAN

The Geology Department utilizes a variety of substances in and around our laboratories. These substances
present varying degrees of hazards and need to be handled respectfully and with regard to the hazard that
each one presents.

Low-risk substances
Low-risk substances include any substances which are unlikely to cause injury in normal use. They can
readily be purchased by members of the public without a permit or prescription at retail stores in
Northfield, including food coloring, table salt, rubbing alcohol, vegetable oil, motor oil, antifreeze, paint
and paint thinner, adhesives, sealers, cleansers, detergent, Portland cement, etc. These substances
present minimal hazards to the workers using them and, while common sense needs to apply, they can be
used by employees and students in any of our laboratories without special consent or training.
Also included among low-risk substances are some items which must be bought from chemical supply
houses or other specialty vendors, but which, according to their Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) or
the judgment of the Geology Department faculty, do not present hazards requiring special handling or
precautions. Examples of materials that we use which are in this category include refractive index oils,
rock saw lubricant, dilute 10% hydrochloric acid, and thin section epoxy.
In cases where substances such as owl pellets present a low risk for biohazard, proper precautions will be
taken including dust masks, protective eye wear and plastic gloves.
Extended exposure exceeding the Threshold Limit Value to clay or sand dust can present long term health
hazards. People using dry sand or clay in powder form are encouraged to work either in a fume hood or
outdoors.
Certain minerals in the Dana Collection, including ores of mercury and arsenic, contain poisonous elements
which can rub off on fingers during casual handling. People handling these mineral samples should wash
their hands after handling the minerals. The mineral samples to which this applies are in boxes labeled
with warning stickers informing people of the risk.

Higher-risk substances
Chemicals which are poisonous, toxic, carcinogenic, corrosive, extremely flammable, cryogenic or
radioactive need to be handled with greater care. Direct contact of these substances with a person or a
person's skin may cause immediate injury requiring medical care. Storage and use of these substances will
be in rooms which normally are locked to restrict access. These rooms include Mudd B62 and B66, Olin 10,

12, 14 and 19, and the Hulings SEM lab B03B. Use of these hazardous materials requires the permission
and instruction of a faculty member.
Examples of chemicals which fall into the high-risk category include but are not limited to concentrated
hydrofluoric, hydrochloric, nitric, and sulfuric acids, radioactive minerals, naphthalene, diphenylamine, ion
chromatography and atomic absorption reagents, high pressure compressed gases, and liquid nitrogen.
The remainder of Appendix 1 governs work with hazardous chemicals in the rooms designated above for
hazardous chemical work:
One of the goals of the Geology Department is to minimize the quantity and variety of hazardous
chemicals that we keep on hand. We dispose of high-risk chemicals which are no longer needed, or have
not been used in several years, with a maximum holding period of five years beyond the last use, unless a
faculty member has immediate plans to use a particular chemical. With the automation of chemical
ordering and quick delivery now available, we emphasize a "just-in-time" inventory strategy for high risk
chemicals, ordering them as we need them in quantities limited to the current project's needs.

Chemical operating procedures for rooms in which hazardous

chemicals are present
No hazardous chemicals and chemical procedures will be used in academic laboratories unless approved by
a faculty member. Prior to beginning a lab activity, the hazards associated with the chemicals to be used
will be explained to students. This will be done in the presence of the lab assistants, if any are assigned.
There should be a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) available for any hazardous chemical used in lab. In
the absence of a Material Safety Data Sheet, other sources should be used to ascertain the hazards. Either
the faculty member or the Laboratory Manager may require that the user(s) and/or the lab assistants
review the information contained in the MSDS. An employee may demand to see a MSDS before using a
chemical. If none is available the employee may decline to undertake the project. In such cases the
employee must be given a different project and may not be penalized in any way for this action. In
practice, we have MSDSs for almost all the substances we buy, but the substances we use are common
and MSDSs for them can also be found by searching the Internet.
No work with hazardous chemicals should take place between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. under any conditions, or
during breaks, on holidays or weekends when the worker is alone in the lab.
Chemical containers will be labeled with the chemical name of the contents and the date of filling. This
includes lab glassware which contains laboratory chemicals whenever the container will not be emptied
before the end of the laboratory session. The full name of the chemical or reagent will normally be used.
Abbreviations are not acceptable unless all who may be involved with the container of chemical or reagent
are thoroughly familiar with the abbreviation. All containers of hazardous chemicals or reagents will be
labeled with the appropriate signal word (danger, warning or caution) and with an indication of the type of
hazard.
Where chemicals are being used for a project which extends beyond the scope of one term, the name of
the investigator should also be on the label. Bottles of chemicals with no investigator's name attached may
be disposed of during the routine clean-up between terms.
Only experiments authorized by department faculty will be performed. When designing experiments,
consideration should be given to minimizing the possibility of exposure to hazardous chemicals.

Also, in labs where hazardous chemicals are being used:

No food will be stored in chemical storage refrigerators.

Eating, drinking or smoking in lab is prohibited.

Filling pipettes by mouth suction is prohibited.

No flame heating devices will be used in an area where volatile flammable solvents are used.

Chemical containers will be kept closed except when the contents are being withdrawn.

All lab workers will be shown the location and use of safety showers, eye washes, fire extinguishers
and fire blankets.

Contact lenses are discouraged except as determined by a faculty member.

Work involving potential overexposure to toxic fumes or dusts or nuisance odors will be done in a
properly functioning fume hood.

Compressed gas cylinders will have covers in place whenever they are moved. All cylinders must be
physically restrained and supported except when being moved.

All workers are strongly advised to wash hands thoroughly either before leaving lab or immediately
after leaving the lab.

Injuries that break the victim's skin or cause skin to blister will be reported on a department injury
report form. The form will detail the name of the injured, the type of injury, the circumstances of
the injury and the action taken. The same will be done for eye injuries requiring the use of the
eyewash or ingestion or inhalation of any laboratory reagent. No matter how minor the injury is
perceived to be, the injured will always be advised to report to the Health Center or the hospital
emergency room. Security Services may be called to transport the injured (see Appendix 2).
Departmental injury forms will be kept on file in the Geology Department Office for ten years
following the incident.

Protective Equipment

The Geology Department will provide safety glasses and face shields, and other necessary
protective equipment, for use in handling hazardous chemicals.

Eye protection must be worn by all persons in any lab where work with hazardous chemicals is
going on.

Labs where hazardous chemicals are being used will have signs requiring eye protection.

When using chemicals that are hazardous through skin contact, gloves will be worn. Selection of
proper gloves will be based on the information contained in the Material Safety Data Sheet. The
department will stock gloves of nitrile. In most cases, these types of gloves provide protection from
exposure due to incidental spills or splashes. They are never to be used for immersion of the hands
into any hazardous chemical. If immersion is necessary, proper gloves will be ordered for this
purpose.

Work involving potential overexposure to toxic fumes or dusts or nuisance odors will be done in a
properly operating fume hood.

If you experience a chemical spill on your person, go to a sink or safety shower and rinse
thoroughly with water. Quickly remove any clothing that is soaked with the chemical.

Hazardous chemical spills will be cleaned up immediately by a lab assistant, faculty member or
other department employee. If a spill occurs at night, the spill area will be taped off with warning
tape. If the spill presents an inhalation hazard, all persons will evacuate the entire lab. No one will
be allowed to continue to work in the vicinity of a chemical spill.

Chemical storage
Hazardous chemicals will be stored in rooms in which the main entry doors have been set to lock by
default. These rooms include Mudd B62 and B66, Olin 10, 12, 14 and 19, and Hulings B03B.
When not in use, strong reagents such as concentrated acids will be stored in the protective cabinets
below the fume hoods.

Chemical Waste Disposal

Every effort will be made to minimize the production of hazardous waste.

No untreated hazardous waste will be poured down the drain or placed in a wastebasket.
Specifically labeled waste containers will be made available for these.

No reactive chemical waste will be mixed with other wastes.

Waste solvents will be recycled whenever possible.

Any combining of wastes must be approved by the Hazardous Waste Coordinator.

All containers of waste will be accurately labeled.

The Hazardous Waste Coordinator of the Chemistry Department will help us arrange for disposal of
hazardous waste.

TESTING OF FUME HOODS AND OTHER SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Fume hoods, eyewashes and safety showers will be checked weekly during the school year, and the
inspection date will be noted on a tag attached to the eyewash/shower piping.
Using the built-in velocity meter, a fume hood should have a face velocity of between 70 and 125
feet/minute when the sash is half open. If anemometer results are inconclusive further testing will be done
using a smoke device to determine whether a hood is allowing fumes to escape into the lab area. Any
hood found to be unsatisfactory will be taken out of service until repairs are made by college maintenance
personnel and further tests indicate it is functioning properly. Repairs will be done promptly by the college
maintenance personnel.
Eyewashes will be tested at least semiannually by running the eyewash. Water will be run until it is free
of rust. Water must also be at a moderate temperature. The output must be at least one half gallon per
minute. Attention will be paid to the pattern of the water output. It must be such that both eyes may be
thoroughly flushed and that the face wash spray is uniform and complete. Any eyewash that does not
meet these criteria will be taken out of service until repairs are made by maintenance personnel. Repairs
will be done promptly.
Safety showers will be tested at least semiannually by running the shower into a bucket. Water will be
run until it is free of rust (it is from the same water source that feeds eyewashes). Water must also be at a
moderate temperature. Attention will be paid to the flow volume from the shower. It must be at least

thirty gallons per minute, sufficient to completely drench the user in less than one minute. Any shower
that does not meet these criteria will be taken out of service until repairs are done by college maintenance
personnel. Repairs will be done promptly.

TRAINING
All students employed in laboratories using hazardous chemicals, whether as teaching or research
assistants, will be trained before beginning their assignments. Faculty members who are involved with
laboratory work will also attend the training sessions. Subsequently, these faculty and students will be
expected to implement the provisions of this training.
Training will include:
a) procedures as detailed in this Chemical Hygiene Plan
b) hazards that will likely be encountered in the laboratories
c) protective measures to be taken against injury or overexposure
d) how to extract information from a Material Safety Data Sheet
Records of training, containing names and dates, will be kept on file in the departmental office.

MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS AND EXAMINATIONS

Medical consultations and/or examinations will be provided by Carleton College at no cost to an employee
under the following circumstances:
a) the employee develops symptoms which are consistent with overexposure to a hazardous chemical to
which he or she may have been exposed on the job;
b) a spill or leak of a hazardous chemical occurs in a laboratory which results in possible overexposure;
c) monitoring indicates that an exposure level has occurred in excess of that which is permitted.
Authorization for such examinations must come from the Associate Dean's office. Such medical
examinations and consultations will be done by a licensed physician or under a licensed physician's direct
supervision. The physician will be informed, by an appropriate College representative, of the employee's
symptoms, the conditions of the exposure and the substance to which the employee was exposed.
The physician will inform the employee and Carleton College of the results of his or her findings and
recommendations for further examination or treatment.
The physician will provide Carleton College with a statement that the employee has been given the results
of the examination and also any condition which the employee has, as a result of the exposure, which
increases the employee's risk of medical problems in the future.
Records of medical examinations or consultations required under this section will be kept on file in the
Associate Dean's office for a period of thirty years following the end of the employee's tenure.

PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

The term "designated area" refers to a lab, portion of a lab, or a fume hood having signs posted declaring
the hazard present within. When a designated area is declared, only the person or persons declaring it will
work within it and will work only on the project for which it was declared. As soon as the hazard for which

the designated area was declared ceases to exist, the designated area ceases to exist and the hazardous
substances and signs must be removed.
Procedures involving the use of strong hydrofluoric or other acids require a designated area. This will be a
fume hood exclusively for the use of hydrofluoric acid. All persons who could possibly be exposed to the
substance will be warned in advance of its use. The area in which the substance is used will be designated
by warning signs.

CHEMICAL HYGIENE OFFICER

The Chemical Hygiene Officer will be appointed by a College administrator who has broad authority to do
so. Final authority to confirm or deny the appointment will rest with the President of the College.
Brian Mars was appointed Chemical Hygiene Officer by Steve Galovich, Associate Dean, on May 22, 1991.

APPENDIX 2 - TREATMENT OF INJURED PERSONS

The employee who first responds to the incident which causes an injury will be in charge of providing
treatment until relieved by another employee who is more qualified. Action must be taken immediately, so
don't wait for someone else to do it. Follow these steps:
1. ASSESS THE CONDITION OF THE INJURED PERSON
Is the person unconscious, not breathing, in severe pain, bleeding profusely, unable to move,
missing limbs or digits? Is pulse absent? Is there a possibility of back or neck injury? If any of the
answers to any of these are positive CALL 911 or have someone else call. This will bring police,
rescue and an ambulance. After calling 911, call Security Services at ext. 4444.
2. CALL SECURITY SERVICES at ext. 4444
or, if someone else is available, have that person call Security Services. The caller should give his
or her name, the room where the injured is located, the condition of the injured and answer any
questions from the officer who answers. Security Services will also consider whether an ambulance
is necessary.
3. GIVE TREATMENT
Do whatever you know how to do to stop bleeding or restore pulse or respiration. If the situation is
life threatening, doing something is better than nothing.
4. DO NOT MOVE A PERSON WHO MAY HAVE BACK OR NECK INJURY
Unless you or the injured are in immediate danger from the environment, the less the injured is
moved, the less chance there is of complicating the injury.
5. IF YOU CAN'T DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO CALL 911, CALL 911
If you must err, take more precautions than necessary.

Safety - Introduction

Most accidents at geological exposures of cliffs, quarries and mountains have occurred to nongeologists when walking, climbing or working. Some accidents have occurred to geologists and
geology or geography students on field trips in the south coast of England region described here and
elsewhere (Lee, 1992). Geological field work carries some risk, but it can be reduced by knowledge,
experience and a careful approach.
Accidents during geological fieldwork may be broadly classified. Some of the accidents are almost
chance events (e.g. in dry weather a seagull dislodges a small rock). Some, however, are avoidable,
at least in theory (e.g. going close to loose rock on cliffs in or just after heavy rain) although,
unfortunately, not always necessarily totally avoidable in practice. There are of course "grey areas",
not sharp boundaries between these two types. Organisations normally make risk assessments and
have their own safety rules which, of course, they should follow. The notes below are for guidance of
those doing geology or geomorphology on the southern England coast who may be unfamiliar with
the types of risks involved. The comments here regarding safety are informal, not instructions, and
have no official status> They are based on long experience of leading southern England field trips.
Emphasis is on specific known problems regarding coastal fieldwork.
There is no guarantee of safety at the foot of cliffs. This is because cliffs are products of erosion and
they exist only because of sea-erosion at the base with, sooner or later, some consequent cliff-fall.
Nevertheless, cliff activity takes place at a greater rate in some places than in others and it mostly
occurs in bad weather conditions and in the Winter and Spring. Risks can be greatly reduced by good
information, good observation and good judgement. Please check tides and weather conditions and,
if possible, obtain advance information on the state of the cliffs.
" A Code for Geological Fieldwork " is issued by the Geologist's Association, Burlington House,
Piccadilly, London.
On geological field trips attention should be paid to the various potential hazards that can be
reasonably predicted and methods of field-working safely. Inevitably some have been overlooked. In
general when doing geology, it is usually vehicles, weather, water and rocks which on rare occasions
cause serious accidents. Mines and mountains are places of many accidents. A bibliography provides
some information on geological and other field trip risks and accidents for the south coast of England
and elsewhere.
The rules for British school parties have been conveniently summarised in a [old] newspaper article
by Wainwright and Smithers (2002). They stated that guidance on education visits and trips for local
education authorities was substantially revised in 1998.
The rules, at the time, stated that schools and group leaders should:

make sure that the school has comprehensive travel insurance

write to parents to tell them what responsibility the local education authority/school accepts
and the scope of any insurance cover the school is to arrange

ensure that the provider of any organised activity such as sailing or canoeing, caving or water
sports has a licence

carry out a full risk assessment before and during the trip when conditions change

if possible carry out an exploratory visit to the location. At least one of the adults present
should speak and read the native language

stick to recommended teacher-pupil ratios: 1:10-15 pupils for nine to 11 year olds and 1:6 for
younger children

carry out regular headcounts of pupils on the trip

ensure pupils are within sight at all times

carry a list of all the adults and pupils on the trip

be aware that teachers have ultimate responsibility for pupils at all times on a trip

get parents' full consent for the trip including agreement for any medical treatment.

Some of the main risks for geological and geomorphological fieldwork in British areas, are listed
below:
1a. Rock Falls - General
(Discussed in more detail below)

Small rock falls are very common - particularly in wet weather and particularly at the many shale and
shale/limestone cliffs, and accidents have happened. Falls can occur from any cliff that has not
degraded into a vegetated slope.
Examples include - above: the Purbeck Formation at Durlston Bay, south of the Cinder promontory.
Here the lower cliff is steep and the upper has loose debris. Right: the (easily avoided) Hard Cockle
Overhang in the same formation on the eastern side of Lulworth Cove. Here debris falls over the
ledge to form small piles on the beach. There have been fatal accidents at both these sites
(Anonymous, 1977; Lee, 1992). Places with similar geology such as Worbarrow Tout, Pondfield Cove,
Bacon Hole, Stair Hole, Durdle Door, Wallsend Cove on Portland etc. carry similar special risk in
certain conditions. The Purbeck unit is prone to shed blocks of limestone, marl and shale in very wet
weather, particularly in January, February and early March. You can see heaps of fallen debris in the
photographs, and in both cases you can see hanging slabs on the cliffs. The falls may be small in
quantity but very dangerous if people are close to the cliff at these times. Certain parts of the cliff are
best avoided. The extensive cliffs of Kimmeridge Clay and the long coast of Liassic clays in West
Dorset present similar hazards at times (Anonymous, 1997g). Pinhay Bay is particularly prone to clifffalls. Of course, any cliff, such as Chalk cliffs too, can yield rock falls at times. Falls are common in
the northern part of Worbarrow Bay and at Ballard Cliff.
Precautions: First, think carefully about the weather and possible cliff conditions at the time of the
visit. See whether the cliffs look safe before proceeding. Watch for the danger signs of recent falls.
Insist that all participants wear hard hats if they approach the foot of cliffs.
Falls from the cliffs are most likely to occur in wet or frosty winter conditions. During or after heavy
rain the foot of the cliff should not be approached. Avoid field trips in Late Winter and early Spring, or
at least be very cautious. On all occasions the leader should look at the base of the cliff and by
looking for split rocks and bounce marks appreciate how much debris, if any, has fallen recently. If
there many indications of fresh falls cancell the trip or find an alternative low locality. When on a coast
section strictly avoid any specific parts of the beach where there is fresh split rock. Rock falls often
occur repeatly at the same place. Move people away quickly from such sites. Take extra care with
large parties when the statistical risk of an accident happening to somebody is so much greater. In
general minimize time at the foot of cliffs. Broad structures and large features can often be viewed
safely from lower down on the beach. Never shelter under overhangs from rain; this can lead to
fatalities.

Here is the debris of a fall of Bridport Sands at Burton Cliff, near Burton Bradstock. Perhaps the
members of the public seen here on the rock pile should have avoided a place where further small

falls could occur, but probably another major fall was unlikely. The main fall here seems to have been
a sudden, catastrophic event and there may have been little or no warning. Such falls are not
common as there only a few large accumulations of debris at the foot of the cliff. Similar conditions
occur from time to time at East Cliff, West Bay, although rock piles are not normally this size.
Photograph courtesy of Gareth Lloyd who took on 27 July, 1996, presumably shortly after the cliff fall.
As far as possible avoid parts of the cliff like this. Although fossil collectors may look for new material
at a place like this, it is generally sensible not to linger where you know debris has recently fallen, in
case more may follow.
[Note that the above was written long before the fatal accident at Burton Cliff!]
1b. Rock Falls and Hard Hats - Case Studies.

As noted above, students should wear hard hats when approaching the foot of a cliff. This illustration
(Black Head, Osmington Mills, 1999) shows a typical student field trip at a relatively safe location, in
which the students are carrying out graphic logging. No students were permitted on the field trip
without safety helmets and all have received written and verbal warnings. However, in a large party
there will almost always be some students who remove or leave off helmets at a place where they
should be worn. The leader is usually busy with the geological instruction, but at the same time has to
patrol the cliff, as far as possible, and deal with students breaching safety rules. This is difficult In
practise because of time needed to traverse rocky beaches with boulders. Sufficient experienced subleaders and demonstrators would help.
There is little real danger that in dry weather on the clay cliff at Black Head, shown above, a student
without a safety helmet would be injured. However, in wet weather at a steeper cliff with some hard
rock, the risk is much higher.

Here is an example of a cliff, at Whitecliff Bay in the Isle of Wight, that reveals important geological
structures but has some moderate safety problems. Because the part of the cliff shown here is a
strike section, the dip of the strata can only be determined satisfactorily (and the Chalk well-seen) at

the eastern (left-hand) end of this promontory. There are four main hazards in attempting to reach this
point. They are as follows:

The fall of chalk scree in the right-hand part of the photograph. There has been a sudden fall of
grassed over chalk-scree here at some time in the recent past. It has most likely occurred
during winter at a phase of heavy rainfall. Further falls on this slope are probably likely to be
mostly of scattered small chalk fragments. Safety helmets are definately needed here. The foot
of the fallen scree slope should be avoided as far as possible. It may at times have to be
passed and then should be passed over very quickly.

The sea-worn foot of the cliff from the centre to the left of the photograph. There is a serious
hazard here of high-velocity blocks of flint or chalk falling almost vertically down the cliff.
Fortunately, there is hardly any fresh material at the foot of the cliff which shows that the cliff is
not particularly active at the time of the photograph. Much of the cliff above is swathed in
vegetation and clear white patches of chalk (from which there have been falls) are rare.
However, close observation of the green seaweed-covered foot of the cliffs on some occasions
has shown that here have been some scattered falls. On seeing this evidence it has been
necessary on occasions to remove the party from the foot of the cliff here. Even when the risk
does not seem high it is wise to move a party rapidly past a stretch like this.

By going round the promontory on the left with a rising tide it is possible to become cut off.
Stormy conditions will increase the risk. There is a danger of being swept off ledges by the
waves and it is better to avoid this area in bad weather.

There is a risk of falling backwards on slippery seaweed-covered rocks at low tide.

Unfortunately, this is one of the most common geological incidents, but a hard hat and thick
clothing or a small rucksack usually prevents significant injury. Note that the consequences of
high tide would be to force the party upto the foot of the cliffs and off the seaweed-covered
rocks, but the group would be closer to the cliff and in greater risk of receiving falling rocks.
Generally go at low tide and in good weather if at all possible. A further risk regarding the
Chalk cliffs is that they contain flint nodules and these must not under any circumstances be
hammered because of high-velocity splinters.

We now look at a higher-risk location.

This is west of Lyme Regis. Note why the risk is higher. There is a steep, lower cliff and there is the
hazardous circumstance of alternating shale and thin argillaceous limestone beds. The shale
weathers back and the unsupported limestone falls. In wet winters the problem is compounded by
falling of debris from slip-planes and slides above the lower cliff. At the time shown here (Spring,
1997) the cliffs were not slipping badly but, even so, the students were instructed to work on beach
ledges and not the vertical cliffs. The cliff is less hazardous to the right (east) because of decreasing

slope. Unfortunately, even after warnings leaders have to watch for individual students who may drift
to the cliff and it takes time to get to them and send them away from the cliff. All students and staff
should wear safety helmets here.
Notice in this image the natural danger signs. At the foot of the cliff on the left, there are two natural
warning of risk. A large slab has fallen, and there is a small pile of shale debris. It is most important
that no-one should approach these places! More widespread ability by people to recognise such
danger points would produce a large increase in safety. However, a large party may be warned about
such risks, and every reasonable precaution taken, but it may still be very difficult to keep a close eye
on all members of the group when they are doing project work, as can be understood from this
photograph. Even the ledges cannot be totally safe. In the image one block is cracked off from the
bedrock, although still resting in stable position, but the students much less likely to be at risk here.
Obviously, nothing on field work can be completely safe but every reasonable effort should be made
to improve safety.