Participants’ HandbookA Guide to Going South with British Antarctic Survey

Our Vision

British Antarctic Survey aspires tobecome, by 2012, the leadinginternational centre for Global Sciencein the Antarctic Context.

Our Mission

To undertake a world-classprogramme of scientific research,survey and long-term observations,and to sustain for the UK an active andinfluential regional presence and aleadership role in Antarctic affairs.

Our Culture

BAS aspires to a culture that is:

• Positive - Positive attitude, energy, realism, enjoythe work

• Responsible - Safety conscious, environmentallyfriendly, accountable for one’s actions,honourable, ethical, open and fair

• Imaginative - Creative, flexible, thinking of betterways, constructively challenging, learning fromexperience, problem solving, entrepreneurial andoutward looking

• Co-operative - Open, communicative, caring andloyal to one another, working in the best interestsof BAS and science

• Excellent - Professional, efficient and effective,successful and recognised, high quality, applyingbest practice and developing our people

Images: Cover: Loading of the BAS Dash-7 aircraft on the Sky-Blu Field Station blue-ice runway. Above: Cargo work in the hold of RRS Ernest Shackleton at Mare Harbour, Falkland Islands.

3

Contents

4 Introduction

5 Director's Foreword

6 Antarctica Past and PresentHistory The Antarctic Treaty

8 The Organisation and Structure of BAS

9 BAS Infrastructure

10 Preparing to go SouthHealth matters Passport and visas Financial affairsVoting Making a willBad news whilst you are away

12 Packing for the AntarcticWhat NOT to take to AntarcticaWhat to take to AntarcticaNon-accompanied personal belongingsScientific cargo

16 Travelling to and from AntarcticaHow do I get there?What information can I expect to receive from BAS?MOD flights to the Falkland IslandsCommercial flights to the Falkland IslandsThe Falkland IslandsBAS ships and aircraftTravelling home from Antarctica

18 Living in AntarcticaLiving on shipsLiving on stationsLiving in the fieldTime differencesCommunicationsFamily and friends liaisonPersonal accounts

22 Health and Safety and Medical IssuesHealth and safety policiesTrainingMedical ServicesPersonal health

24 Protecting the Environment

25 Press, Public Relations and EducationSponsorship and endorsement

26 Personnel Policies

27 Finally

27 Checklist

28 Glossary

29 Index

30 Map

IntroductionThis handbook is provided to all participants in the British AntarcticSurvey (BAS) Antarctic programme. It aims to provide some backgroundto the environment and organisation within which you will be working,outline some of the steps that you need to take before travelling andanswer the most commonly asked questions about living and working inthe Antarctic.

Accompanying handouts will be provided giving the latest practicalinformation, and a list of sources for further information is given at theend of the handbook.

Much of the information given here is repeated or amplified at the annualCambridge Briefing Conference in September. During the Conferencethere will be films, lectures and discussions to introduce you to BAS andthe Antarctic. It also provides an opportunity for you to meet the peoplewith whom you will be going South and members of Cambridge staff.There are some practical matters that you need to consider beforeConference; please make sure you read straight away the sections onBasic Preparations, Packing for the Antarctic and Health and Safety, andthat you make any necessary arrangements in good time.

This handbook is regularly updated. We welcome any feedback on itslayout, style or content.

Images: Above: A BAS field training camp on Adelaide Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Far Right: The Bonner Laboratory at Rothera Research Station contains state-of-the-art biological research facilities.

Antarctica plays a key role in global processes. The ice sheet exerts a major control on world meansea level, and is a primary component of the global climate system. The cold, deep waters of theSouthern Ocean reach northwards to affect all other oceans, and the seasonal variations in ice coverhave a significant impact on the heat balance of the planet.

Antarctica acts as an unparalleled laboratory for studying the effects of the Sun on the Earth’satmosphere, including the formation of the "ozone hole." In addition, its rocks provide the key to theevolution of the southern continents, its ice sheet contains an outstanding history of climatic changesover the last 900,000 years, and its living creatures reveal the secrets of evolution and adaptation toextreme environmental conditions. It is an archive of the past, a litmus of the present and alodestone of the future. The Southern Ocean supports economically important world fisheries, andscientific studies of these resources are essential for their sustainable management.

British scientists have played a leading role in Antarctic research for many decades. We have donethis by concentrating on important scientific problems and by being efficient and effective indeploying our field parties and marine cruises. We have important work to do on existing studiesand a range of exciting new challenges to take us forward into the future.

We take especially seriously our role as stewards of the Antarctic’s pristine environment, adoptingpractical steps to limit our "footprint" on this last great wilderness.

The strength of any organisation lies in the expertise and enthusiasm of its staff. You will be carryingon a tradition of excellence, supporting first class research in one of the most difficult environmentson Earth. This handbook is here to help you make the most of your trip south, both for BAS and foryou as an individual. I wish you good luck with your project and an enjoyable and productive time inthe Antarctic. It will be an unforgettable experience!

5

Director’s ForewordAntarctica is remote, inhospitable and withoutpermanent inhabitants. It is the coldest,windiest, driest and highest continent. It iscapped by an ice sheet over 4km thick inplaces, and is 58 times larger than theUnited Kingdom. In winter it is dark andsurrounded by an area of sea ice larger thanthe continent itself.

Prof Chris Rapley CBEDirector British Antarctic Survey

Images: Left: Gentoo penguin at the Historic Site of Port Lockroy. The site dates back to Operation Tabarin and the first British presence in the Antarctic. Above Right: Skidoo travel has replaced the use of dogsin the Antarctic since dogs were banned in 1994 under the Antarctic Treaty. Below Right: Operation Tabarin members on the deck of the Royal Navy ship HMS Eagle, at Deception Island in 1944.

Antarctica Past and Present

History

The United Kingdom has a long history of exploration and research inAntarctica. James Cook made the first circumnavigation of Antarctica in1772-75, sailed to 71°S and discovered the island of South Georgia. In1820 Edward Bransfield made the first sighting of the Antarctic continentfrom off the Antarctic Peninsula. James Weddell, James Clark Ross, JohnBiscoe and Carsten Borchgrevink led other major nineteenth centuryexpeditions. However, it was unknown whalers and sealers who carriedout much of the early exploration of the maritime Antarctic andsurrounding seas.

During the early part of the twentieth century, William Spiers Bruce,Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton led important expeditions toAntarctica. In addition to exploring new areas of the continent, theseexpeditions carried out extensive scientific programmes and establishedthe United Kingdom as the leading nation in Antarctic science. Thesestandards were maintained by further expeditions between the wars, ofwhich the most important were the 13 Discovery voyages 1925-39, as the"Heroic Age" of Antarctic exploration drew to a close.

In 1943, the British Government mounted a secret naval mission, code-named Operation Tabarin, to Antarctica. Its objectives were to report onenemy activities, collect meteorological data and to enforce Britishterritorial claims through the establishment of bases. At the end of thewar the operation was transferred to the Colonial Office and became theFalkland Island Dependencies Survey (FIDS) whose primary mission wasto continue the British presence in an area whose sovereignty wascontested by other countries. FIDS grew rapidly, opening bases

throughout the maritime Antarctic, running survey trips using dog sledgesand expanding many areas of scientific investigation. The name "Fids" is stillused to describe BAS personnel.

The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1955-58), led by SirVivian Fuchs, continued the British tradition of exploration and science.

In 1957-58, 67 nations took part in the International Geophysical Year(IGY), one of whose major objectives was exploration of the Antarctic.This was a major success, and led directly to the negotiation of theAntarctic Treaty and hence to the international co-operation andprotection of Antarctica that exists today.

In 1962 FIDS was renamed British Antarctic Survey, and in 1967 it wastransferred to become one of the research centres owned by the NaturalEnvironment Research Council (NERC). Funding is provided by the Officeof Science and Technology (OST), which is part of the Department ofTrade and Industry (DTI). BAS is also responsible to the Foreign andCommonwealth Office (FCO) for territorial duties and compliance withthe Antarctic Act.

The Antarctic Treaty

Following IGY, the United States invited 11 countries, including the UnitedKingdom, to an international conference to develop a long-termframework for peaceful co-existence in Antarctica. The Antarctic Treatywas signed by all 12 countries in December 1959, and came into force in1961, once it had been ratified by each nation's government.

The major provisions of the Antarctic Treaty are that:

• Antarctica is only to be used for peaceful purposes, although military personnel may be involved

• There is freedom of scientific investigation and co-operation

• Scientific data and personnel are to be freely exchanged

• Territorial claims are "frozen" and new ones cannot be made

• Nuclear explosions and radioactive waste disposal are banned

• All stations and equipment are open to inspection by any treaty member

Since its inception, the number of signatories to the Treaty has increased to 45, of which 28 are fullconsultative parties engaged in substantial scientific research activity in Antarctica. These nationsmaintain some 44 permanent year-round scientific research stations in Antarctica, with moreoperating in the austral summer.

The Antarctic Treaty covers all lands and ice shelves south of 60º S, but not the sea itself. In 1980the Treaty nations agreed on a wide-ranging measure, the Convention for the Conservation ofAntarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), to conserve all Antarctic marine living resourcessouth of the latitude of the Polar Front (the boundary between cold Antarctic seas and the warmerAtlantic waters). Other agreements aimed at protecting Antarctic wildlife include the AgreedMeasures for the Conservation of Antarctic Flora and Fauna (1964) and the Convention for theConservation of Antarctic Seals (1972).

The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (1998) provides wider protectionfor the Antarctic environment, including the prohibition of commercial mining and hydrocarbonextraction for at least 50 years. The Protocol has five annexes, which influence the way in whichBAS, and other Antarctic operators, manage their activities. These annexes cover EnvironmentalImpact Assessment, Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora, Waste Disposal and Management,Prevention of Marine Pollution and Area Protection and Management. The prohibition in theEnvironmental Protocol on importing non-native species means that there are now no sledge dogsin Antarctica. In the United Kingdom, the Protocol was incorporated into UK law by the Antarctic Act(1994), which provides the legislation applicable to all UK nationals and operators in the Antarctic.

Permits

BAS receives a permit for its general operations in Antarctica from the FCO as a requirement of theAntarctic Act, and separate permits for the operation for the ships and aircraft. Additional permitsare required if work is to involve any of the following activities:

• Taking of, or harmful interference with, native flora or fauna

• Introduction of non-native species into Antarctica

• Entry into Antarctic Specially Protected Areas

• Mineral resource activities

BAS Project Leaders should apply to the Environmental Office for additional permits to undertakeany of the above. Antarctic Funding Initiative (AFI) Principal Investigators should also apply to theBAS Environmental Office through the AFI co-ordinator for the additional permits for any of theabove activities, except for mineral resource activities (including lake and marine sediment cores) forwhich individual applications should be made direct to the FCO as advised by the AFI co-ordinator.

Foreign visitors should seek advice from the BAS Environmental Office on the need to apply to theirown governments for permits.

DEFRA Licences are also required for the import of biological samples to the UK, and also theon-site storage of the imported samples, either at BAS or at the establishment (e.g. University) thebiological samples are transferred to after import. The legislation requires licences for soils, plants,animal pathogens, animal products (including remains or preserved samples) and live fish. Whale andseal products also require import licence under CITES (Convention on International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) legislation. This includes items such as whalebone andseal skins and teeth. Your Base Commander will provide further information on import licences andthe Standard Operating Procedure.

If licensed material is to be transferred to another establishment a BAS Licence Holder isresponsible for providing the information to DEFRA and producing the necessary documentation(e.g. Transfer Permit) required. BAS, as an organisation, is responsible for ensuring that the receivingestablishment is properly licensed before releasing the material.

7

Images: Above Right: Reception at BAS Cambridge. Centre Right: BAS ski-equiped Twin Otter and Dash-7 aircraft above Rothera Research Station. BAS operates a total offive aircraft and two ships. Below Right: RRS Ernest Shackleton, BAS’s primary logistics support vessel, at King Edward Point, South Georgia.

The Organisation and Structure of BASThe Director and Deputy Director, and a small team, form the BASDirectorate. BAS has two support divisions, three science divisions and ascience co-ordination group. The Heads of Division, together with theDirectorate and an independent member, form the BAS Board, which isthe senior management body for the Survey, responsible for overalldirection and policy.

The science divisions deliver the BAS science programmes and long-termmonitoring and survey, and manage the well-found laboratories. The eightPrincipal Investigators (PIs) of the core science programmes provide thescience leadership as part of the science co-ordination group.

Biological Sciences Division (BSD) uses the special features of Antarcticecosystems to investigate a wide range of biological problems. The organismsstudied range from birds and seals to microscopic plants and animals.

Geological Sciences Division (GSD) has a major research emphasison Antarctica's role in global palaeoenvironmental change. Through acombination of modelling and field studies we are investigating the onsetof Antarctic glaciation and the stability of the ice sheet through geologicaltime. We also have a strong input to biodiversity programmes and carryout a multidisciplinary programme of long-term monitoring and survey.

Physical Sciences Division (PSD) covers a wide range of disciplinesincluding glaciology, oceanography, meteorology, atmospheric chemistryand geospace research.

Science Co-ordination Group The purpose of the Science Co-ordinationGroup is to add value to the activities of BAS science by co-ordinating anddeveloping the science leaders, strengthening and extending the national andinternational standing of BAS, improving the science quality assurance andproviding guidance and support on accessing sources of funding.

For further information on science programmes, seewww.antarctica.ac.uk/GSAC

BAS also supports the Antarctic Funding Initiative (AFI), allowing scientistsfrom universities and research institutes to participate in Antarcticresearch. See www.antarctica.ac.uk/afi for more details.

The Administration and Logistics Division (ALD) provides all themajor services and support functions for BAS activities in the Antarcticand the UK. Included within ALD are:

Technical Services Group• Antarctic and marine engineering• Information and communications technology• Airborne and survey technology• Building services• Vehicles• Project support

Operations Group• Planning, managing and co-ordinating Antarctic operations for stations,

ships, aircraft and field programmes• The BAS Air Unit• Contingency planning and incident response• Antarctic travel• Antarctic induction training• Management of the NERC Arctic station at Ny-Ålesund

Personnel Section• Recruitment and training of all staff• Staff administration and welfare, including acting as first point of contact

for those south• Salary administration• Medical matters in conjunction with the BAS Medical Unit

Health and Safety and Cambridge Facilities Management• Includes Office Services

Finance Section• Accounting, payments and budgets• Financial reporting• Personal account administration

Purchasing and Shipping Section• Purchase of all goods and services; administration of tenders and contracts• Stores administration• Packing and despatch of all cargo

The Environment and Information Division (EID) deals withenvironmental management and manages information and data supportfor all BAS programmes. Included within EID are:

Environment Office• Ensuring compliance with the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic

Treaty• Waste management policy• Training and guidance on oil spill prevention and response• Providing environmental advice to FCO and the Antarctic Committee

for Environmental Protection• Removal of abandoned British bases and waste dumps in Antarctica• Management of historic British bases on the Antarctic Peninsula

Press, Public Relations and Education (PPRE)• Media relations• Events and exhibitions• Publications and public information service• Photographic and graphics support• Science in society

Mapping and Geographic Information Centre (MAGIC)• Creation of maps to support science programmes• Advice on Geographic Information Systems• Co-ordination of BAS remote sensing activity• Antarctic place names

Information and Records Management (IRM)• Electronic Records Management System (ERMS)• Library service• Archives service• Compliance with freedom of information and environmental

information regulations• External website and intranet (BAS internal website)• Antarctic Environmental Data Centre (AEDC)

BASDirectorate

Environment& Information

Division

PrincipalInvestigators

Science Programmes BAS Science Divisions BAS Support Divisions

Global Science in the Antarctic Context

GSAC SCIENCE PROGRAMMES

Admin& Logistics

Division

ScienceCo-ordination

Group

PhysicalSciencesDivision

BiologicalSciencesDivision

GeologicalSciencesDivision

In 1975 BAS moved to new buildings in Cambridge, which were extended to their present size in1988. It is from here that all the Survey's complex activities are organised.

BAS operates four research stations in the Antarctic, and also manages the station at King EdwardPoint (KEP) for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Government of South Georgiaand South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI). An historic Heritage Site is operated at Port Lockroy, topromote the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT).

In addition to the official name, each station has an identifying letter, allocated in chronological order.These letters are used extensively in cargo and communications procedures.

Rothera (Base R) is situated on Adelaide Island to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula. The site includesa crushed rock runway, hanger and wharf. Rothera is the centre of BAS field and air operations. It is thelargest BAS Antarctic facility and supports a wide range of BAS science programmes.

Halley (Base Z) it is about 200km from the nearest exposed rock. The station is built on a floatingice shelf in the southeast of the Weddell Sea. Scientific research concentrates on atmosphericsciences, meteorology and chemistry. Halley has a snow runway and supports a number of summerfield science activities.

Bird Island (Base B or BI) is a small island at the western end of South Georgia. It is covered intussock grass with no permanent snow or ice. The research concentrates on the biology of birdsand seals, huge numbers of which live on the island.

King Edward Point (Base M or KEP) is situated close to Grytviken on the main island of SouthGeorgia. It is surrounded by glaciers and mountains, but low-lying areas support abundant grasses andwildlife. The station focuses on applied fisheries research and supports the GSGSSI Marine Officer.

Signy (Base H) is a summer-only station situated on one of the South Orkney Islands. It is a smallisland, a large part of which is covered by a permanent ice cap. There are extensive areas of mossesand lichens and many lakes and pools on the island. Signy supports terrestrial and freshwatersciences, especially biology, and a CCAMLR monitoring programme.

Station Location Summer Winter Minimum Maximumcomplement complement temperature temperature

Rothera 68°S 68°W 80 - 120 21 -30°C +5°C

Halley 76°S 27°W 70 16 -50°C +1°C

Bird Island 54°S 38°W 8 4 -10°C +10°C

KEP 54°S 36°W 18 8 -10°C +10°C

Signy 61°S 45°W 9 0 -30°C +10°C

BAS operates two ships: the RRS James Clark Ross (JCR) and the RRS Ernest Shackleton (ES).Both ships are ice-strengthened with diesel electric drives, bow and stern thrusters and dynamicpositioning systems. BAS ships are flagged in the Falkland Islands and their home port is Stanley.

RRS James Clark Ross (JCR), first launched in 1990, is primarily a marine research vessel forbiological, oceanographic and geophysical cruises. It is equipped with a suite of laboratories and awinch system that allows scientific equipment to be deployed astern or amidships. The ship has anextremely low noise signature, allowing the deployment of sensitive acoustic equipment. A swathbathymetry system was fitted in 2000. The JCR also carries out some cargo and logistical work. Duringthe northern summer the JCR supports NERC scientific work, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere.

RRS Ernest Shackleton (ES), launched in 1995, is primarily a logistics vessel, being used totransport cargo, fuel and passengers. The ship also has basic scientific capability and undertakessome research work. During the northern summer, the ES is commercially chartered and usuallyworks in the North Sea.

In addition to the two BAS vessels, the Portsmouth-based Royal Navy ship HMS Endurance (HMSE)operates in the Antarctic. HMSE supports BAS science as well as fulfilling its own hydrographicsurvey and political roles. The ship carries two Lynx helicopters.

Aircraft: BAS operates five aircraft in the Antarctic during the austral summer. The largest is thefour-engined de Havilland Dash-7, the primary role of which is as a link between the Falkland Islandsand Rothera for both passengers and cargo. It also undertakes fuel depot laying trips to blue icerunways and some scientific survey work.

The other four aircraft are twin-engined de Havilland Twin Otters. Their primary role is to deployfield parties and establish remote fuel depots. Particular aircraft are also configured to undertakeaerial photography, radio echo ice depth sounding, meteorological studies and geophysical surveywork. Whilst usually based at Rothera, the Twin Otters also operate out of Halley.

BAS Infrastructure

9

Images: Above: A remote field camp site on the Jones Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula. Right: Crevasse rescue field training near Rothera Research Station.

Preparing to go South

Health matters

Medical examination - Everyone who travels with BAS to the Antarcticmust pass a strict medical examination. For BAS staff this is carried out bya BAS doctor at BAS's expense. Visitors' medicals are carried out by theirown General Practitioners (GPs) to BAS guidelines; BAS will notreimburse the costs incurred. The purpose of the medical is to determinewhether you are fit for the arduous nature of Antarctic service. Thestandard varies depending upon what you are likely to do whilst in theAntarctic. There are only a few conditions that completely precludeAntarctic service, because those suffering from them would be a dangerto themselves or others whilst south. However, whenever practicable theBAS Medical Unit (BASMU) tries to make special medical arrangementsto enable those with problems to work in Antarctica. As the medicals areoften completed many months before travel South, it is vital that youreport any subsequent medical problems to the BASMU as soon aspossible, as this may either affect your fitness to go south or requirespecial medical arrangements to be made.

Please do not take your GP’s word that you are fit to go to the Antarctic.The final decision rests with the Senior Medical Officer at BASMU. SomeGP’s do not have a full understanding of the hazards involved, and therehave been instances when people who would have run into seriousmedical trouble in Antarctica have been initially "passed" by a GP. Pleaserefer to BASMU document "Medical aspects of living and working inAntarctica" for more information.

Dental check - You must ensure that you have a thorough dental checkbefore leaving the UK and that a letter from your dentist confirming yourdental fitness is supplied to BAS. This check should be carried out by yourown dentist; BAS will not reimburse any costs incurred. Some personnel,such as winterers and deep-field workers, will be required to visit the BASdentist. You will be informed if you fall into one of these categories. A

dental problem can have a disproportionately significant impact. A minortoothache can ruin your trip South, so it is in your own interests to ensurethat you are dentally fit before travelling.

Blood testing - There is no blood bank in Antarctica, so individuals onship or station are needed to act as donors for any transfusion. To protectthose receiving blood, we must check on the blood-borne disease statusof all potential donors. All personnel must provide a pre-tour bloodsample and written consent for testing; failure to do so will precludeAntarctic service. Samples will be tested for blood group, hepatitis B andC, syphilis and HIV. You will only be contacted in the event of a positivetest. This is the same policy as applied for blood donors in the UK; theonly difference is that it is compulsory.

We do not provide counselling prior to HIV testing as the test is only forsafety in blood transfusion. If you have any concerns about HIV testing youshould discuss the subject with your GP, a BAS doctor or a specialist clinic.Some insurance companies require notice of HIV testing and may attemptto exclude tested individuals. If asked this question you should reply"blood donor testing only" (unless, of course, you have had other tests.)This should not alter your life insurance risk status, but if any difficultiesshould arise BASMU will, on request, pass grounds for the test toinsurance companies.

Confidentiality - Medical records are retained by BASMU and are animportant part of ensuring good medical care in the Antarctic. BAS doesits utmost to maintain the confidentiality of medical information. However,since there may be safety, welfare or operational implications, personneladditional to the medical staff may sometimes be involved. The specialcircumstances under which BAS operates and the measures taken havebeen recognised by the General Medical Council.

Immunisation - Prior to departure from the UK, you must be well in date with the followingimmunisations, which are freely available from your GP.

• Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping Cough

• Poliomyelitis

• Haemophilus Influenza; HiB

• Meningicoccus GpC

• Tuberculosis BCG

• Measles, Mumps, Rubella; MMR

• Yellow Fever is required for those staff travelling on the UK-Ascension-Falklands flights. It isavailable from authorised travel clinics. Details of your local centre should be available from yourGP. There is likely to be a fee payable for this. The reason for this requirement is that the aircraftcould divert to an active yellow fever area in Senegal. At times of high risk the RAF may refusepassage to anyone who cannot produce a yellow fever vaccination certificate at check-in.

Other immunisations, such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies and malaria, may be required if youintend to travel privately around South America or Africa after your trip south. BAS can providefurther advice, but it is the individual's responsibility to ensure that they are properly vaccinated. Noadditional immunisations are required if you are just visiting a South American city whilst in transit,unless health warnings are in place at the time.

Ensure that you have a record of your immunisations with you when you leave for the Antarctic.A BASMU doctor may wish to see this.

Passport and visas

Ensure that your passport will be in date throughout your stay in Antarctica, for any subsequenttravel, for example round South America, and for six months after your planned date of return. UKcitizens do not require visas for travel to Chile, Uruguay or the Falkland Islands, but citizens of othercountries, and UK citizens travelling elsewhere, should check their visa requirements well inadvance of travel.

Financial affairs See Handout

We cannot provide financial advice. To prevent problems and minimise worries for yourself and yourfamily, you should take every step to ensure that your financial arrangements are as well organised aspossible. Further details on the tax and NI situation can be obtained from the BAS PersonalAccounts Manager.

You should consider giving someone you trust Power of Attorney to enable them to act on yourbehalf and deal with all matters concerned with your affairs. You need to arrange this via a solicitor.You should inform your bank that you are going to be away for a long time. You may also have toinform insurance companies, particularly with regard to life, health and home insurance policies.

Voting

There are no arrangements for you to vote in general or local elections whilst you are in Antarctica.If you wish to retain your entitlement to a vote whilst you are away, the only way to do so is byarranging a "proxy" vote before you leave the UK. This cannot be done once you are abroad. Pleasecontact your District Council for more information.

Making a will

It is always prudent in terms of personal affairs to have a will in place. You are strongly advised tomake a will if you have not already done so.

Bad news whilst you are away

You should also take the opportunity to discuss with your friends and family the possibility that theremay be bad news from home whilst you are in the Antarctic. Experience has shown that opennessand honesty is the best policy under difficult circumstances. Leaving bad news until the individual getshome has often made matters worse. Your next-of-kin should understand and be aware of yourwishes. We recommend that news be passed in "real time", via the Family and Friends LiaisonOfficer and the Base Commander.

Personal insurance See Handout

11

Packing for the Antarctic

What NOT to take to Antarctica

• Importation of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and pesticides isbanned under the Antarctic Treaty. These materials may persist in theAntarctic environment and damage local wildlife.

• Do not use polystyrene chips or similar packing for your equipment.Wrap fragile items in clothing, foam or newspaper (not shredded.)

Do not import alien species into Antarctica!

When we say alien species, we do not mean UFOs or ‘little green men.’Rather we mean plants and animals that are not normally found inAntarctica. These include biological materials such as plants, seeds, bulbs,insects, brine shrimp and non-sterile soil. Importation of these materials isstrictly banned under the Antarctic Treaty. If you require some of theseitems specifically for your scientific research you will need to obtain apermit.

Alien species can also be carried in to Antarctica on people’s clothing. Forexample, seeds and spores can get trapped in Velcro® on coats ortrapped in mud on boots. Before leaving for Antarctica, please removeany visible biological material from clothing and clean mud off boots.Better still, wash clothing thoroughly before departing. In addition, ifmoving between BAS bases please check clothing and personal belongingsto prevent transport of biological material between sites. If in doubt,please ask!

What to take to Antarctica

If you buy anything new to take South, such as camera or outdoorequipment, you should carry the receipt with you. When you re-import thegoods to the UK, the receipt will provide clear evidence that duty has been

paid on the goods. There should be no problems re-importing equipmentthat is clearly well aged.

Please note that thefts from baggage can occur on commercial flightsbetween UK and South America. You should therefore ensure that anyvaluable or particularly precious personal items are carried as handluggage and not placed in the hold.

Antarctic clothing

Temperatures in the Antarctic can vary rapidly and widely. The best wayto manage these changes is to use a number of layers of clothing, ratherthan one bulky layer. This allows you to add or remove layers in responseto changing temperatures and also traps layers of air providing betterthermal insulation.

BAS issues all outdoor and work clothing required, except where there isprior agreement between BAS and another institution that we will not doso. In those cases, the clothing used must be of an equivalent standard tothat issued by BAS.

Clothing is issued from the Clothing Store in Cambridge. You shouldmake every effort to contact the Clothing Store Manager and arrange afitting session.

For most personnel, your Antarctic clothing will be transported south byship. Your kitbag will then be issued to you either when you join a ship or,if flying by Dash-7, on arrival in the Falkland Islands. You may have sometime in the Falkland Islands before you can gain access to your kitbag, soyou should carry some of your own outdoor clothing such as outdoorshoes or boots, trousers, top and waterproof jacket for immediate use.

Images: Above: The Clothing Store at BAS Cambridge. Above Right: Sunglasses and goggles are standard issuefor protection against the high UV radiation levels in the Antarctic. Below Right: Unloading cargo from RRS Ernest Shackleton during relief of Halley Research Station.

There is a good swimming pool in the Falkland Islands and you may wish to take a swimmingcostume.

All BAS issue clothing remains the property of BAS and must be returned at the end of yourAntarctic tour. All items should be replaced in the kitbag and stored on board ship or station forreturn to the clothing store. The clothing is expensive (about £1000 per person) and vital foryour own safety and comfort. You must look after your clothing properly, keep it clean and makerepairs as necessary.

BAS does not supply indoor clothing, so take your own. All ships and stations are warm inside.You will require items such as jeans, tracksuit bottoms, shorts, T-shirts, sweatshirts or similar, aswell as nightwear, underwear, indoor socks and indoor shoes or slippers.

Most stations have semi-formal meals or other events on Saturday nights and the RRS JamesClark Ross runs a formal messing system, so you will need at least one set of reasonably smartclothes.

Glasses

If you wear glasses, ensure that you take at least one spare pair with you. Leave a copy of yourprescription with Personnel Section so that replacements could be obtained in an emergency.Contact lenses have the advantage that they do not get steamed up or frozen.

As part of the clothing issue, BAS will supply one pair of prescription sunglasses if required.Prescription safety glasses will also be supplied if required as part of your work.

Provision of contact lenses and supplies for them are your own responsibility.

Toiletries

We will supply all items necessary for your safety in the Antarctic. High factor suncream andlipsalve are freely available on ships and stations (although you will have to provide your ownwhen you first arrive in the Falkland Islands.)

General toiletries are supplied on station; these include soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes,floss, razors and shaving foam (but not deodorant or shower gel). On ships, these items have tobe purchased from the ship's bond. There is not a great deal of choice; you may wish to take yourown favourite brands and your own cosmetics. However, please do not take aerosols to theAntarctic, as they are both hazardous and environmentally unfriendly.

For women, sanitary towels or tampons are provided for wintering personnel only - summer-only personnel must take their own supplies. Bins for disposal of sanitary waste are provided onships and at stations. When in the field, sanitary/medical waste should be placed in yellow bags(provided in field boxes) for return to station and appropriate disposal.

Medication

All ships and stations are well stocked with medicines covering requirements from first aid toemergency treatment. The ships carry various anti-seasickness remedies though it is worthstarting such a course just prior to the voyage if you are so disposed.

The stations are well supplied, but do not have the range of medication available in the UK, andare equipped to deal with emergencies, not ongoing problems. If you are taking regularmedication of any kind, (including contraceptive pills,) you will as far as possible need to takesufficient quantities for your tour. GPs will usually give prescriptions for up to a year ; if your touris longer, or there are any problems with this, contact BASMU as soon as possible, and well inadvance of your departure date. If you have any concerns at all, please discuss your medicationwith BASMU well in advance, who will advise or assist in ensuring you have what is needed. Toavoid potential problems at customs, ensure that all medicines are carried in their originalcontainers with labels intact. If you are taking any prescription medicines, or are carrying anycontrolled drugs, this must be declared on your medical questionnaire and at your medical andshould also be advised to the doctor or Master/BC when you join a BAS ship or station.

13

Images: Above: Loading cargo at Mare Harbour, Falkland Islands. Right: Antarctica offers some remarkable photographic opportunities and many who travel south take camera equipment.

Packing for the Antarctic

Photography

Photography is a major recreational activity in Antarctica. You will be givenfurther advice on equipment at the Cambridge Briefing Conference, but afew general points follow. All modern film, digital and video cameras workperfectly well in the Antarctic. Low temperatures can reduce batteryperformance, so ensure that you have plenty. Wildlife is generallyapproachable; you will not require very long lenses (200mm is quitesufficient). Hand carry enough film with you; it is not possible to buy filmfrom the ships' bond. A small, automatic camera is useful to carry in yourpocket and for party nights. Good camera bags are a sound investment.Ask your Base Commander for details of darkroom facilities on yourstation.

As the use of digital cameras increases, more people are downloadingphotographs onto disk for return to the UK, even if they did not originallytake the photographs. If you wish to do this, you must take your ownrecordable CDs. The BAS image collection relies heavily on photos takenby everyone who goes south, so please email photo@bas.ac.uk, or dropinto the photographic office on your return, to find out more aboutsubmitting your best pictures.The minimum specification for digitalcameras if you would like to submit images for publications such as theBAS calendar is six million pixels.

Music and videos

All stations hold large collections of books, CDs and videos/DVDs. Apersonal cassette/CD/minidisk/MP3 player with headphones is useful andwintering personnel may wish to take a portable CD/cassette player ormini-hi-fi system. Remember to take sufficient batteries for portableequipment - rechargeables (with a charger) are recommended. Musicalinstruments are popular and concert nights are sometimes organised.

Skis and snowboards

There is a selection of skis available on the larger stations, but you maywish to take your own skis or snowboard. Recommendations varybetween stations; you should consult your Base Commander as to localpreferences before purchasing new equipment. Wrists guards, releasablebindings and other appropriate protective equipment should always beused when skiing or snowboarding. Please consult the Operations Groupif you intend travelling with skis.

Other items

The Antarctic is hard on watches. You should take at least two watches,inexpensive digital watches are quite adequate. Spare straps and batteriesare also useful. A watch with an alarm is recommended for Met. staff. Youmay consider taking items such as binoculars, hair dryer, alarm clock, etc.The latest bestsellers and newspapers and magazines are always welcomeon station.

Non-accompanied personal belongings(applies to wintering staff only)

Winterers may consign personal belongings as manifested cargo (that is,cargo officially declared to customs) on a BAS ship, for delivery to theirwintering station. This cargo will not be available until the ship arrives atyour station, which may be some time after your own arrival; it is notaccessible whilst on board ship.

All such belongings must be properly packed, for example in trunks,suitcases or strong cardboard boxes. Boxes must not contain anyperishables, liquids, fireworks, aerosols or hazardous substances. As aguide, any material that has an orange warning label on the originalpackaging is hazardous and may not be transported. As the cargo is

15

shipped through the tropics, heat-sensitive material (including photographic film) should not beshipped, but rather hand carried south.

It is NOT intended that you should "move house" to the Antarctic. Manifested personalbelongings should be restricted to a reasonable quantity. They should not exceed two boxes,each weighing less than 50kg and with a linear dimension not exceeding 200cm (the lineardimension equals the length plus width plus height), plus a bag containing skis and/or snowboard.Space on stations is extremely limited. You should give careful thought to your requirements andnot pack more equipment than is necessary.

Cargo packing dates are usually about the end of July for the RRS James Clark Ross and the endof August for the RRS Ernest Shackleton. (Contact BAS Purchasing and Shipping Section or yourBase Commander for routings and precise dates.) If you are employed before the packing datesyou should deliver your personal belongings to the logistics store by those deadlines. Winterersjoining BAS at the Cambridge Briefing Conference may bring their boxes to Conference. Allboxes must be accompanied by a full list of contents and be clearly labelled with your name andstation. A copy of the contents on computer disk should also be supplied. Unmanifested cargowill not be accepted on board ships.

Scientific cargo

All scientific cargo must be delivered to the logistics store by the published packing date unlessspecific arrangements have been made in advance with Purchasing and Shipping Section.

All cargo must be accompanied by a cargo packing note giving a full description of cargoincluding hazard data information and stowage conditions if appropriate. Cargo will not beaccessible on board ship unless it has been exceptionally designated as "Wanted on Voyage" andapproved as such by PSS in advance.

Scientific cargo is only transported by Dash-7 to Rothera on an exceptional basis, and must firstbe approved by the Operations Group. You should contact the Rothera Station SupportManager by the middle of July for authority if you think you might have an exceptional justificationto ship cargo by air to Rothera. The process then continues as for normal shipped cargo.

Further details concerning cargo movements are included in the PSS Purchasing and ShippingGuide and individual station Visitors Guides.

Northbound cargo

Your Base Commander on station will supply you with more information about northboundcargo. Essentially the same procedures apply as for southbound cargo.

You may hand carry non-hazardous items up to the baggage allowance for your route home. Beaware that this may not be the same allowance as for your journey south.

You may send personal belongings north as manifested ship's cargo. Your Base Commander,Station Support Manager or Chief Officer will provide you with case numbers, advice on packingand a C3 customs form. After clearing UK customs and being discharged from the vessel, allcargo will be transported to Cambridge; this is likely to be in the second half of May. Personalcargo may then be collected from Cambridge or delivered to your nominated address; transportcosts for delivery from Cambridge will be charged to individuals, as will any import charges leviedon dutiable goods included in your personal belongings.

NB: It is not possible for individuals to collect cargo from the dockside, your cargo will thereforenot be available until the ship has returned to the UK, and cargo has been discharged andtransported to Cambridge.

Images: Right: RRS James Clark Ross in heavy sea-ice close to Rothera Research Station. Far Right: Routes taken by BAS ships and aircraft to get to Antarctica.

Travelling to and from AntarcticaHow do I get there?

Most people travelling to Antarctica will stage through the Falkland Islands.For those travelling on other routes, separate instructions will be issuedbut the principles shown below will apply.

BAS organises transport from BAS Cambridge to the departure airport. Ifyou do not wish to use this transport you will need to make your ownarrangements to get to the airport, but may then reclaim the expensesincurred.

In any case, BAS will arrange all your travel from the UK airport onwards,as well as any accommodation and transfers required during your journey.

What information can I expect to receive from BAS?

There will be a travel briefing during your induction - this normallyhappens well ahead of your travelling date. At this briefing you will be toldthe dates that you are likely to travel and advised of any action you willneed to take before you leave UK.

Approximately two weeks before your planned departure date you willreceive your travel confirmation details from Operations Group who willrequest that you confirm receipt of your travel documents, raise anyqueries and finalise any UK travel arrangements.

Travel dates can be changed at short notice for operational reasons.

MOD flights to the Falkland Islands

Many BAS staff will travel to the Falkland Islands on the MOD flightoperated from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

The flight time is 18 hours, including a short refuelling stop at AscensionIsland. You will have to leave the aircraft but will not be allowed out of thetransit compound.

Occasionally flights are delayed at Ascension Island. If this happens you willbe provided with basic overnight accommodation but you will not haveaccess to the baggage in the hold so you should carry a small towel andtoiletries in your hand luggage.

On arrival in the Falkland Islands you will be transferred to youraccommodation prior to the next leg of your journey.

Commercial flights to the Falkland Islands

BAS routes a large number of people on commercial flights from the UK,normally London Heathrow to Chile and then on to the Falkland Islands.

This is a 30-hour route with a number of stops. You will have an overnightstop in Chile (normally in Santiago) prior to proceeding to the FalklandIslands. A hotel room and airport transfers will be provided at BASexpense for your stop in Chile.

On arrival in the Falkland Islands you will be transferred to youraccommodation prior to the next leg of your journey.

The Falkland Islands

You will normally be accommodated in the Upland Goose Hotel in Stanley.

BAS maintains a small office in Stanley (next to the Upland Goose Hotel).This busy office arranges your accommodation, deals with cargo and looksafter the arrangements for all BAS ship and aircraft movements into andout of the Falkland Islands. You are welcome to visit the office and if youhave any problems whilst you are in Stanley, do approach the BAS staffwho run the office.

The office has limited computer facilities that may be used for sending andreceiving e-mails by those personnel accommodated by BAS in Stanley.Those accommodated on a BAS ship whilst in the Falkland Islands shouldmake use of the computer facilities on that ship.

The Falkland Islands has its own currency (pounds and pence). On theIslands this is interchangeable with UK currency. However, you will not beable to use Falkland Islands currency on return to the UK.

There is no ATM on the Falkland Islands but UK cheques are generallyacceptable in the main shops and credit and debit cards are accepted inmost stores.

You will be given a more detailed briefing about the Falkland Islands duringyour induction.

BAS ships and aircraft

With few exceptions, BAS staff will travel onwards from the FalklandIslands or from South America to Antarctica using BAS transport.

Those travelling to Rothera will be routed either by air (BAS Dash-7) orby sea. All other BAS personnel will travel to their Antarctic destinationby sea.

Dash-7: Flights from Stanley to Rothera are generally arranged fordeparture on the day after arrival of flights from UK and takeapproximately 4-5 hours.

You will have at least one night’s accommodation in Stanley beforedeparting for Rothera. However, due to unpredictability of the weather inAntarctica, delays can occur in your departure from Stanley, particularlyduring the early part of the Antarctic season. Be prepared to spendseveral days waiting in Stanley!

BAS Ships: BAS has two ships: RRS James Clark Ross and RRS ErnestShackleton. If you are not travelling into Antarctica by air, then you willalmost certainly travel to your destination on one of these two ships.There are rare exceptions and if you are one of these, you will be notifiedas early as possible.

If you are travelling onwards on a BAS ship, you will normally beaccommodated on board the ship from the time you arrive in the FalklandIslands until the ship departs. You will normally have the opportunity tovisit Stanley.

Travelling home from Antarctica

Travel from Antarctica will be by ship (or possibly by Dash-7 from Rothera), normally to theFalkland Islands.

We aim to move you from the Falkland Islands to UK as soon as practicable after your arrival fromAntarctica either by MOD flight to RAF Brize Norton or by commercial airline into London Heathrow.

Approximately two weeks before the start of your return journey you will receive your travel detailsfrom the Operations Group via your Base Commander or Ship’s Captain.

Anyone returning from Antarctica and wishing to use the transport from the airport of arrival toBAS Cambridge may do so. If you do not use the transport, you will need to make your ownarrangements for travel from the airport to your home, but may retrospectively reclaim theexpenses incurred.

BAS strongly recommends that you do not drive a vehicle immediately after travelling on along-haul flight.

Whilst BAS insists that your southbound travel is arranged by BAS, there are opportunities to makeyour own arrangements for returning home from the Falkland Islands. Separate instructions areissued prior to the start of each new season and you will be briefed on this at your induction.

17

Images: Above: Aerial view of Halley Research Station, Brunt Ice Shelf. Above Right: The BAS run King Edward Point Applied Fisheries Research Station in Cumberland East Bay, South Georgia.Below Right: Reptile Ridge is a popular scramble for those working at Rothera Research Station, seen in the distance.

Living in Antarctica

Living on ships

You may travel on BAS ships either in transit to and from a station, or aspart of a science cruise. Shortly after joining the ship, you will be given abriefing on the ship's layout, safety, security and emergency proceduresand the plans for the coming work period. Please read the booklet whichis in your cabin as soon as you join the ship. This will tell you everythingyou need to know about safety and the ship’s routine.

The Master has overall authority on board. Any of the ship’s crew will bepleased to explain the operation of the ship and the routines onboard. Itis possible to visit the Bridge and engine room in small groups after firstobtaining permission. Otherwise, you must not enter restricted areas.

BAS nominates one person from the supernumerary personnel onboardto act as "King Fid". This person acts as the liaison between the Masterand supernumeraries. King Fid will assist with any questions you may haverather than you having to seek out a specific officer to ask. Job rotas andsocial events are also co-ordinated through him (or her). For sciencecruises the Principal Scientist acts as liaison with the ship staff.

Staff should expect to share cabins. You will be expected to keep your owncabin, working and living areas clean and tidy, and to contribute to generalwork tasks including cleaning duties and cargo handling. There is a weeklyinspection of the ship by the Master. The ship's crew operate a round-the-clock watch system, and at any time there will be a watch at rest. Whilstsocial events are held, care must be taken to limit disturbance and noiselevels and you should consider the impact of your actions on other people.

All ships pitch and roll. You must take care when moving about the vesseland make sure that everything is properly secured before leaving port.Seasickness remedies are available from the ship's doctor. During roughweather deck areas may be placed out of bounds and restrictions must beadhered to strictly.

Any special dietary requirements should be advised to BAS as early aspossible. Vegetarian food is available. Whilst in transit, (unless you arecurrently working on scientific data collection/support - see ScienceCruises) you may be required to provide galley assistance, particularly ifthe ship is full.

Both ships have a gym and sauna for general use and carry a limitedselection of books, videos and games to pass the time. If you are travellingfor more than a few days, you are advised to take some leisure items withyou. Binoculars are particularly useful.

Many people get dehydrated on ships; you should drink plenty of waterand may wish to take a skin moisturising cream. Soft and alcoholic drinksare available from the ship's bars, which are run on a "tick sheet" system. Aship's shop (bond) sells toiletries and souvenirs as well as drinks andcigarettes using a chitty system. Any expenditure will be taken directly fromyour personal account. You will not require money whilst on board. A cashadvance can be obtained from the Master prior to arrival at a port.

Smoking on ships is restricted to certain areas. These will be describedduring your familiarisation briefing.

If you are travelling on HMS Endurance, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) orother non-BAS ship, you will come under either Royal Navy or otheroperating regulations. These differ from those on BAS ships. You will beinformed separately about the rules and requirements that will beimposed on you whilst onboard such ships.

Science cruises

Science cruises typically last two to six weeks. Scientific work on shipduring the cruise normally continues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, withpersonnel working 12-hour shifts. A Principal Scientist (PS or PSO) for thecruise will assume responsibility for cruise personnel. He or she willnominate watch leaders for each shift who will co-ordinate requestsbetween the science and ship operations.

To work on open decks, you must have completed an STCW 1995Personal Survival Techniques course. You will be required to send a copyof a valid certificate to BAS before joining a science cruise AND take theoriginal certificate with you to the ship. BAS will organise courses for itsown personnel, but visiting scientists (including AFI projects) mustorganise and fund their own training. Safety shoes and helmet must alwaysbe worn whilst working on deck. Additional personal protectiveequipment (PPE) must be worn as appropriate.

Ship's laboratories are small and usually shared by different projects. It isimportant for everyone to be considerate of other users and work in a tidymanner. All laboratory regulations and guidelines apply as they do in the UK.However there are extra risks in ship laboratories and the ship-specific Lab.Code of Practice and Cruise Risk Assessments should be thoroughly readbefore undertaking any lab. work onboard. The Code of Practice and theRisk Assessments for the cruise are available in the ships’ laboratories.

Living on stations

Each station has a Base Commander (BC) who is present each summer and has overall authority onthe station. A Winter Base Commander (WBC) is appointed from the over-wintering personnel toact as the BC's representative during the winter.

Accommodation and work routines vary between the BAS stations. When you first arrive onstation you will be given an introduction and tour of the facilities. Incoming personnel are providedwith training before they are allowed to undertake field activities or use boats or vehicles. Thistraining builds on that received at the Briefing Conference, Derbyshire Field Course or over thepreceding summer.

Technical and support staff generally work a structured five and a half - or six-day week, whereasscience and some operational staff may work different hours as projects require. There are times,for example when discharging cargo, when personnel may be required to work shifts to ensureefficient operations. However, it is intended that there should be adequate time in each week forpersonnel to undertake recreational and social activities. It is important that everyone is aware thattheir leisure hours may not coincide with those of personnel working on other projects. Do not getupset if others are playing whilst you are working.

(Please note: BAS staff in the Antarctic have the option of logging their working hours in line withthe European Union 'Working Time Directive'. At Conference you will given the choice to opt in orout of the system. If you opt in you will need to send your working hours to us every week.Working time is measured as the average over a 17 week period. It is unlikely on the work rota wehave described that you would exceed the 48 hour average limit.)

The diet provided at each station is very similar to the kinds of food eaten at home in Britain. Themain differences are that fresh fruit and vegetables are only available on a limited basis; vegetables,meat and other provisions are provided in dried, tinned or frozen form. At Rothera and Halleymeals are provided by professional chefs, but at other stations all personnel take turns to cook.Vegetarian food is available on all stations.

You will be expected to take part in domestic duties on a rota basis. These tasks include washing up,dealing with waste and general cleaning (especially at the weekly "scrubout"). You may also berequired to assist in other duties such as station maintenance, cargo handling, staffing of field huts,acting as nightwatch and assisting with flying operations. BAS has always believed that everybodywho lives on a station should take equal responsibility for its daily maintenance. Staff should expectto share accommodation on stations.

Each station runs its own bar facilities with a limited supply of alcoholic drinks. The particular systemwill be explained to you on arrival, but all operate on some variation of either the "tick sheet" orpre-supply systems, with payment deducted from your personal account. You should not takepersonal supplies of alcohol onto the station. You are expected to read and observe the StaffNotice giving BAS policy on alcohol and drugs.

Other purchases may be made by account transfer or cheque. You will not require money on station.

All stations operate a policy of no smoking within station buildings.

All ships and stations supply UK-standard 230V 50Hz ac power through standard British 3-pinsockets and are equipped with ample computers for personal or work-related use.

As on ships, there are washing machines and dryers at the stations. Washing powder is provided.

Recreation

There are many opportunities to learn and take part in recreational activities in Antarctica,particularly for those people staying on BAS stations. However, it is important that you understandthat BAS has a 24-hour a day duty of care towards you whilst you are living in Antarctica. Thisapplies whether you are a member of the BAS staff, a contractor or a visitor from another researchcentre. Therefore, it is necessary for BAS to take the same approach to recreational activities as itdoes to the work programme. You will not have the same freedom to go and do whatever you likein your "time off" as you would in the UK.

We have established sets of regulations and undertaken risk assessments for recreational activities andthese must be followed by those wishing to take part. Most of these are common sense and are nodifferent to the precautions that you would take in the UK. If in any doubt, you should consult yourBC who will ensure that you have the advice, information and safety equipment that you require.

19

Images: Above: A BAS Twin Otter prepares to depart after input of gear to a remote field site at Avery Plateau, Antarctic Peninsula. Above Right: Installation of the BASnet communications system at Rothera Research Station.Below Right: Refuelling equipment at a field camp on Pine Island Glacier.

Living in Antarctica

Living in the field

Field accommodation varies widely between the well-provided "hut" atFossil Bluff, through small field huts or cabooses to two-person tents deepin the Antarctic. If you are to stay in the field for periods of a few days, youneed undertake no extra preparations. The arrangements will be explainedand training given at the controlling station. This section is primarily aimedat those personnel who will be working in the field for longer periods, andmay pass through stations only en route in and out, if at all.

Operational constraints may result in you being asked to share a tent orfield hut with a member of the opposite sex. However, you will not beforced into this situation against your wishes.

The majority of field activity is from tented accommodation. BAS employsa Field Assistant for each party, who has extensive mountaineering andfield craft experience. The Field Assistant will ensure that all living, travellingand safety equipment is suitable for its intended use and will also arrangetraining in field techniques for the other member(s) of the party. It is theresponsibility of the field scientist or technician to ensure that all theirequipment is working and properly packed before moving into the field.

Food is supplied in the form of 20 person/day ration boxes. Thesecompact rations are designed to provide around 3,500 kilocalories per day.Vitamin supplements are available from the base doctor. Most field partiesalso put together a "goodie box" of extra food items from station stores.The station chef will give advice on what is available and suitable.Vegetarian options are available for field parties. You may also wish to bringa few small items from the UK to vary meals. Other comfort items are amatter of personal preference, but a pillow, washing up bowl, hot waterbottle and extra personal clothes have all been recommended. Prior toinput, it is worth making some modifications to the tent, including sewing inextra hanging lines and pockets. Construction of a decent toilet shelter canmake life much more pleasant. Do not be lured into the macho approachto field life, make yourself as comfortable as possible.

Input to the field is usually by Twin Otter aircraft, but may be by helicopterfrom HMS Endurance or directly from a ship. Where there is an accessibleskiway, the field party is usually visited periodically by Twin Otter.

It is important to achieve an equitable split of camp duties. You should notunderestimate the amount of time that will be taken up with camp duties,maintenance and kitting-up for each day's work. Moving camp will take up

even more time. Often, time in the field is not available for project work,30-40% of field time may be taken by lie-ups due to bad weather. This willoften come in chunks of days at a time, during which you may be confinedto your tent. It is important that you have outline plans for a few daysahead and fallback options should time be lost. A few books and gamesand a personal CD/tape player pass the time, but you will never haveenough. Remember to take sufficient batteries for all electrical appliances(including laptop computers); rechargeable batteries will be of no useunless you have a generator or solar panels with your project.

• Be prepared to use any time of day to get the project completed. Donot waste good weather

• Plans can change at short notice due to weather or operationalconstraints. The more flexible your approach, the more you will achieve

• Your Field Assistant may rule that travel or work is unsafe at any time.The safety of personnel must take precedence over project completion

• Both radio and email communications are imperfect. Beware ofmisinterpreting messages or reading between the lines

• You may not get on with your tent mate all the time. Patience andtolerance are vital

Field party communications

Due to the isolated nature of Antarctic fieldwork, communications forfield parties are somewhat different to those for personnel working onship or station.

For most field parties, communications must be passed by voice over HFradio to or from the controlling station. This has two major effects on fieldcommunications.

• It is necessary to keep messages relatively short and simple. The worsethe communication reception, the shorter messages need to be. Onoccasions, it may only be possible to pass a few words on each sched.Technical terms and foreign languages make life very difficult for radiooperators and should be avoided

• All messages may be heard by anyone listening on the same frequency(i.e. everyone in the field who is waiting for their sched). It is important

that your personal contacts are aware of this and realise that personal messages to field parties arenot at all private. There is no confidentiality

All field parties have a satellite phone, in addition to the HF radio. This may be data enabled (foremail) depending on the scientific requirements of the project. It is available for personal use. Thiswill require arrangement on station prior to deployment into the field.

Time differences

During the Antarctic summer, Rothera, Halley and Signy are three hours behind GMT (as are theFalklands), KEP is two hours behind, and Bird Island is on GMT. Other conventions apply in thewinter months.

Communications

Email, web access and telephone communication. See handout for more information

For most people, the usual form of communication is via email between the Antarctic facility andthe rest of the world.

Whilst the various satellite connections provide the potential for a 24/7 service, it should be notedthat weather conditions can and do effect its operation. This may mean that the service isinterrupted or unavailable at times.

You will be issued with a unique email account that allows you to send and receive both official andprivate messages. This address remains the same wherever you are in the Antarctic, and your messageswill be collected at your facility; the sender does not need to know where you are at any one time.

All ships and stations have telephones and fax machines. It is not possible to use normal mobiletelephones in the Antarctic, South Georgia or the Falkland Islands. The only cellular phones thatwork in Antarctica are Iridium phones.

Ships and stations receive a daily newspaper by email. This consists of about four A4 pages of newsheadlines and summaries.

Airletters

We recognise that not all your contacts have access to computers and email. Therefore, there is afacility to send and receive messages by post. These may either be faxed from station or emailed toCambridge; in either case the message will be posted on to your contact, whose address must beincluded at the top of the page. Your contacts should post their message (clearly marked "PersonalMessage" on the envelope) to Cambridge from where it will be faxed to you.

Post

Each station is able to receive and send normal post during the southern summer. Ships' personnelmay send post when the ship is in port. Stations use either BAT or South Georgia and SouthSandwich Islands stamps, which are available on station. Post is taken out on the first available ship oraircraft and despatched through the Falkland Islands. Postal rates for letters, postcards and parcelsare available on station.

Anyone with an interest in stamp collecting will have the opportunity to buy the wide selection ofstamps and first day covers available at the stations and in the Falkland Islands.

Your contacts will be sent ships’ itineraries and contact addresses to enable them to send mail forpersonnel on board or for transfer to stations. All letters and small packages should be sent airmail.However, the route may be tortuous and post may be delivered out of sequence. Parcels will normallybe treated as surface mail and may take many weeks to arrive. Post may be sent via the Falkland Islandsor South America to fit into itineraries, however, you and your contacts should be aware that the latterroute is particularly unreliable and valuable items should not be sent through this route.

Family and Friends Liaison

BAS has a 24-hour responsibility for personnel in the Antarctic. Your contacts can call the PersonnelSection at any time. Outside office hours there is always a member of Personnel Section on call.Both personnel in the Antarctic and their contacts will be dealt with sympathetically andconfidentially at all times.

Your contacts' details are taken from your personal details form. Please ensure that you complete all theinformation that is requested on this form and remember to tell Personnel Section if any details change.

21

Personal accounts See Handout

There are no banking facilities on the ships orstations. Instead, personal accounts are providedfor all personnel to cover any expenditureincurred whilst south. It is important that youmake sure that you have completed a PersonalAccount Undertaking form before leaving.

Images: Above: Probing for crevasses during field travel can be an essential safety measure. Right: Abseiling is part of the BAS field training course, held in Derbyshire.

Health and Safety and Medical Issues

Health and Safety policies

Health and safety (H&S) is of major importance in all BAS activities. TheSurvey follows, as far as possible, all H&S legislation and Health and SafetyExecutive (HSE) guidelines. The primary legislation (the H&S at Work Act1974) requires BAS, as a responsible employer, to apply all reasonable andpracticable H&S requirements.

BAS aims to foster a safety culture that involves all personnel, allowingeveryone to contribute to H&S implementation and improvement. Allships and stations have H&S committees which meet regularly to discussproblems and review progress. The minutes of these committees aremade public, including posting on the BAS intranet. You may makecomments to, or ask questions of, any member of your local committee.Alternatively, items may be brought to the notice of the local SafetyOfficer (the BC or the ship's Master).

To minimise the risks associated with activities, all projects must have anauthorised Operating Procedure and associated risk assessment (RA)completed before they are begun. You must be familiar with theprocedures and RAs relevant to your activities and implement the requiredrisk control measures. See basweb.nerc-bas.ac.uk/procedures. RAs andOperating Procedures must be reviewed annually and whenever there is asignificant change to the personnel, methods, equipment or materials usedon a project.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulationsapply to all activities and all personnel must be aware of the dangers ofthe substances with which they are working and the control measuresthat need to be followed.

An important component in the development of H&S systems is thereporting of accidents, incidents, near-misses and environmental (AINME).See basweb.nerc-bas.ac.uk/ainme. It is everyone's responsibility to ensurethat these are reported, whether they occur at work or in leisure time.

Fire presents one of the greatest hazards to the Antarctic stations. All BASstations are predominantly built from wood and other highly combustiblematerials. The BAS policy on fighting fires is 'the preservation of life andnot to put staff at risk. To this end BAS does not expect its staff to fight afire unless it is small enough to deal with without putting them at risk, orunless it is necessary to aid their evacuation/escape.' All stations have apolicy of no smoking within station buildings.

Training

All personnel travelling south require training in order to work safely. YouMUST attend the appropriate Briefing Conference and first-aid training.Job-specific training may also be required, and further training takes placeon ships and stations.

Training is an ongoing process. We recognise that even people withextensive polar experience can refine their techniques through revisionand refreshment. Hence, you may be required either to repeat courses atregular intervals or to undertake more advanced training.

Medical Services

In order to provide a high standard of medical care for personnel in the Antarctic, there are doctorsand small surgeries on board both BAS ships and at Rothera, Halley and KEP. A dentist travels onthe RRS Ernest Shackleton at times to assess the dental fitness of overwintering and deep-field staff.Each doctor is supported through a telemedicine link and 24-hour medical cover with the BASMedical Unit (BASMU). Signy and Bird Island have advanced first aid support.

The medical service in the Antarctic is limited by the availability of staff and facilities. The doctorsundergo extensive special training before deployment, but there are no specialist hospital facilities orIntensive Care Units, and only limited surgical facilities. Circumstances may arise where conditionscannot be treated on station. Evacuation will be undertaken where possible, but this will bedependent upon the time of year, weather and logistic capability.

Personal health

Antarctica is, in general, a clean, healthy environment. However, the prevailing conditions do exposepersonnel to a number of hazards with which they may not be familiar. These can lead to medicalproblems, but are avoidable if proper precautions are taken. They include:

• Hypothermia

• Cold injury

• Sunburn and snow blindness

• Dehydration

• Carbon monoxide poisoning

Further information on all the above, and other conditions, is given in Kurafid, the BASMU first aidmanual.

23

Images: Above: Waste materials, being transported by Sno-cat, on the first leg of their journey from Halley Research Station for disposal outside the Antarctic Treaty area.Right: A BBC Newsround crew interview BAS staff at Rothera Research Station.

Protecting the Environment

Most activities undertaken in Antarctica, even scientific research, will causesome environmental impact. We take all practicable steps to minimise ourenvironmental ‘footprint.’ All of our activities are assessed for theirpotential impact before they are allowed to proceed. BAS considers thatthe limited and local environmental impact of our activities in theAntarctic is far outweighed by the important scientific investigations ofglobal relevance that we undertake.

Rats and other vertebrate pests

Rats are commonly found at King Edward Point (South Georgia) andother ports used by BAS vessels. We have implemented comprehensivecontrol measures to ensure that we do not spread rats to rat-free areas.This is particularly important at Bird Island, where the introduction of ratswould be a major ecological disaster for globally important populations ofsome bird species, including the wandering albatross. If you see any signsof rats or mice (e.g. droppings or gnawing of cargo boxes,) on BAS basesor ships, report it immediately to the Base Commander or Master of thevessel.

Waste management See Waste Management Handbook

Everybody is responsible for minimising the quantity of waste theyproduce, and for the proper disposal of their own waste.

Before departing for Antarctica, remove as much packaging as possible

(e.g. cardboard or plastic packaging from camera film, batteries, toiletriesetc.) BAS already makes extensive use of reusable packaging materials.Where practicable, use rechargeable batteries.

Do not drop litter, including tea-bags and cigarette ends, on land or overthe side of ships.

All BAS waste, except for untreated sewage or wet food waste, isremoved from Antarctica. Open burning or burying of waste is prohibited.Waste is separated at source into different categories for reuse, recyclingor disposal. It is reduced in volume as far as practicable, securely packedand correctly labelled for safe transport. Particular attention must be paidto the correct packaging and labelling of hazardous waste. Many types ofwaste, including steel and aluminium cans, paper, cardboard, some plastics,photographic chemicals, batteries, printer cartridges, empty fuel drums,and large scrap metal, are sent to the UK or Falkland Islands for reuse orrecycling.

Soon after arriving on ship or station you will be given a tour of the facilityand the waste management system will be explained in more detail.Details of waste disposal procedures are given in the BAS WasteManagement Handbook and should be followed closely.

In addition to the proper disposal of waste, there are a number ofmeasures that all personnel can take to minimise their own impact on theenvironment of Antarctica and South Georgia.

Protect Antarctic wildlife

• Do not feed, handle or disturb birds or seals, or approach too closely for photographs. Walkslowly around them and remain quiet

• Do not use vehicles, boats, or aircraft in a way that will disturb wildlife

• Do not walk or drive over extensive areas of moss or lichen

• Do not bring non-native animals, plants or seeds to Antarctica

Respect protected areas

• Know the location of protected areas and any restrictions on entry to them

• If you are permitted to enter a protected area, carry the permit and management plan with you,and pay particular attention to the conditions of the permit

• Do not remove, destroy or damage Historic Sites or monuments

Keep Antarctica pristine

• If involved in refuelling activities, follow the established procedures. Never leave refuellingunattended. Report any spills immediately to the Base Commander

• Do not pollute lakes or water courses (this includes urinating!)

• Do not paint or engrave names or graffiti on rocks or buildings

• Do not collect souvenirs of biological (e.g. plants), geological (e.g. fossils) or human origin

We actively encourage staff involvement in science communication and media relations. However, itis important that this activity be co-ordinated by the Press Office to maintain an overview ofpublicity and to protect the interests of staff. Occasionally, journalists may contact you directly withrequests for interviews or written articles; if so, please refer them to the Press Office in the firstinstance. The Press Office will brief you and help you prepare for interviews. Think carefully aboutwhat questions you might be asked and your replies. If you are asked questions outside your area ofknowledge please say so. An incorrect answer to an important question can undermine thereputation of BAS and cause you subsequent embarrassment.

Media visits to Antarctica are supported during most seasons. Wherever possible a member of thePress Office will accompany media visitors.

As part of its strategy to raise awareness of Antarctica, BAS runs an 'Artists and Writers'programme. Visits are co-ordinated by the Head of EID.

We host a number of VIP visitors. They normally visit Rothera to gain an insight into how Antarcticoperations are organised. These visits are co-ordinated by the Directorate.

Whilst in the Antarctic, all visitors are under the authority of the appropriate Master or BaseCommander.

Sponsorship and endorsement

It is important to be aware that sponsorship and product endorsement is a potentially sensitive area.There are government guidelines that must be strictly followed. Sponsorship comes in many forms -from the support of media or educational campaigns (either financial or 'in kind') to practical helpfrom partnerships. For example, companies often offer free supplies or equipment in exchange forpublicity. Suppliers of goods or equipment purchased by BAS often seek to publicise their productsin the trade press. The Press Office must approve all text written by these companies to ensurepropriety and avoid direct endorsement of products.

The process of seeking sponsorship requires sensitive handling and careful consideration of thesuitability or appropriateness of sponsors. There is potential for associations to causeembarrassment or be misinterpreted by any competitors of the sponsor. Individual members of staffmust not seek sponsorship, product endorsement or offer public relations opportunities withoutfirst consulting their line manager and the Press and Public Relations Office.

25

Press, Public Relations and Education

Personnel PoliciesBAS and NERC have a series of policies that apply to the conduct of itsstaff. Whilst they are aimed directly at NERC employees, they may also betaken to apply in spirit to contractors and visitors. Any person in seriousbreach of regulations will be removed from the Antarctic at the firstopportunity, regardless of their affiliation, and the particulars handed on totheir own employers for consideration.

These policies are detailed in NERC Staff Notices on the NERC Intranet andare available on all ships and stations or from Personnel in Cambridge.Before leaving, you should make sure you familiarise yourself with policies on:

• Alcohol and drugs

• Harassment

• Disciplinary procedures

• Grievance procedures

• Respect at work

BCs and Masters are sworn in as magistrates for the British AntarcticTerritory (BAT). They also have ultimate responsibility and authority for allactivities within their facility and associated areas. All personnel should beaware that whilst they are territorially outside the UK, UK law appliesunless a specific alternative BAT statute is in force. Personnel may beprosecuted for any breach of the law as if they were in the UK and eitherextradited or referred to a higher court for trial.

Images: Above: Sculpted icebergs, grounded in North Bay, Rothera Point, Adelaide Island.

27

1. Have you delivered any cargo for shipping to Cambridge intime for packing dates?

2. Are your financial and administrative affairs in the UKproperly arranged?

3. Have you been fitted for your BAS issue clothing?

4. Have you completed medical and dental checks?

5. Have you had the necessary immunisations, and do youhave the vaccination certificates?

6. Have you obtained any permits needed for your work?

7. Does your family understand the communications system?

8. Do you have your contacts' email addresses?

9. Do you have receipts for goods to be re-imported?

10. Do you have your passport (in date to six months after endof tour),and any visas you may need?

11. Do you have your tickets or flight details letter?

12. Have you confirmed flight details with the OperationsGroup?

13. Have you arranged travel to the airport?

14. Do you have sufficient money for use en route?

15. Do you have an overnight bag packed as hand luggage?

FinallyThis handbook contains a great deal of information, and you cannot beexpected to absorb it all immediately. Please carry it with you when yougo south as a source of reference. Do not be tempted to leave it at homeas a souvenir.

There follows a checklist of the most important things that you shouldremember before you leave home. If you can tick all the items in thechecklist, then you should, at least, get your tour off to a successfulbeginning.

A visit to the Antarctic is a great opportunity to experience a uniqueenvironment, try new activities and make new friendships that will last alifetime. BAS and its staff in the Antarctic and the UK will do everythingthey can to ensure that you achieve your professional and personalobjectives whilst in the frozen continent.

Please make the most of your time in Antarctica. You are very lucky to bejoining the small number of people who visit the continent each year.Approach everything with a positive, optimistic and cheerful attitude andyou will have an experience to remember!

Checklist

GlossaryAEP Antarctic Employment PoolAFI Antarctic Funding InitiativeAINME Accident, Incident, Near Miss and EnvironmentalALD Administration and Logistics DivisionAME Antarctic and Marine Engineering SectionAST Airborne and Survey Technology SectionAWI Alfred Wegener Institut AWS Automatic Weather StationsBASMU BAS Medical UnitBASnet BAS Corporate Communications NetworkBAT British Antarctic TerritoryBC Base CommanderBGS British Geological SurveyBI Bird IslandBondu shelf iceBrash strips of broken sea iceBrize RAF Brize NortonBSD Biological Sciences DivisionBSS Buildings Services SectionBZ Brize NortonCASLAB Clean Air Sector LaboratoryCat sno-cat, snow tractorCCAMLR Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine

Living ResourcesCEH Centre for Ecology and HydrologyCOMNAP Council of Managers of National Antarctic ProgrammesCOSHH Control of Substances Hazardous to HealthD7 Dash-7 aircraftDingle good weather, blue skiesDO Diving OfficerDoo skidoo, snow bikeDROMLAN Dronning Maudland Air NetworkDrum Line a marked route on the ice shelfEID Environment and Information DivisionERMS Electronic Record Management SystemES RRS Ernest ShackletonFCO Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeFI Falkland IslandsFid a BAS employee down southFIDS Falkland Islands Dependencies SurveyFIG Falkland Islands GovernmentFloes stretches of thick sea-iceFOM Field Operations ManagerFOWG Field Operations Working GroupFTA Fixed Term AppointmentsGash waste/cleaning dutiesGIS Geographic Information SystemsGrowlers mostly sub-surface bergsGSAC Global Science in the Antarctic ContextGSD Geological Sciences DivisionGSGSSI Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich IslandsH SignyH&S Health & SafetyHinge point at which the Continental Ice floats to become Shelf

IceHMSE HMS Endurance

HoD Head of DivisionIAATO International Association of Antarctic Tour OperatorsICT Information and Communications Technology SectionIGBP International Geosphere-Biosphere ProgrammeIGY International Geophysical YearIIP Investors in PeopleINMARSAT a satellite communications systemIPY International Polar YearISM International Safety ManagementJCR RRS James Clark RossKEP King Edward Point (South Georgia)King Fid the BAS liaison representative on board shipKlatch (personal) belongingsLHR Heathrow AirportLMIC Line Management in ConfidenceMAGIC Mapping and Geographic Information CentreMank, Manky wet and dark weatherMOD Ministry of DefenceMOMU Meteorological and Ozone Monitoring UnitMOU Memorandum of UnderstandingMPA Mount Pleasant Airport, Falkland Is.NERC Natural Environment Research CouncilNOC National Oceanography CentreNOK next of kinNSF National Science FoundationOEA Open Ended AppointmentPack sea-icePax Passenger(s)PI Principal InvestigatorPL Project LeaderPNR Point of no return (aircraft)POL Proudman Oceanographic LaboratoryPPE Personal Protective EquipmentPPRE Press, Public Relations and EducationPSD Physical Sciences DivisionPSS Purchasing and Shipping SectionR RotheraRA Risk AssessmentRelief resupply of a baseSCAR Scientific Committee on Antarctic ResearchSched a programmed radio contact, fax or email transferSISB Science and Innovation Strategy BoardSmoko tea breakSouth the AntarcticSPA Specially Protected AreaSPRI Scott Polar Research InstituteSSM Station Support ManagerSSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest T&S Travel & SubsistenceTOR Terms of ReferenceUEA University of East AngliaUKAHT United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage TrustWBC Winter Base CommanderWMO World Meteorological OrganisationX StanleyZ Halley. Also used in time as reference to GMT

29

IndexAccidents, incidents, near-misses .......................... 22

Aerosols ...................................................................... 13, 14

AFI (see Antarctic Funding Initiative)

Aircraft ............................................................................ 9, 16

Airletters ............................................................................. 21

Alcohol ........................................................................ 19, 26

Antarctic Act .................................................................. 6, 7

Antarctic Funding Initiative (AFI) ..................... 7, 18

Antarctic Treaty .............................................. 6, 7, 8, 12

Arctic ....................................................................................... 8

Ascension Island ............................................................. 16

Baggage allowances ....................................................... 15

BAS Board ............................................................................ 8

BAS Culture ......................................................................... 2

BAS Medical Unit (BASMU) ............ 10, 11, 13, 23

BAS Vision and Mission ................................................ 2

Batteries ...................................................... 14, 15, 20, 24

Bird Island ............................................................. 9, 21, 24

Biscoe, John .......................................................................... 6

Blood transfusions and testing ............................... 10

Borchgrevink, Carsten .................................................... 6

Bransfield, Edward ............................................................ 6

Briefing Conference ........................ 4, 14, 15, 18, 22

Brize Norton ............................................................ 16, 17

Bruce, William Spiers ..................................................... 6

Cameras ...................................................................... 12, 14

Cargo ........................................ 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19

CCAMLR ......................................................................... 7, 9

Clothing ....................................................................... 12, 13

Commercial flights ........................................ 12, 16, 17

Communications ............................................................ 21

Computers ........................................................................ 16

Confidentiality .......................................................... 10, 20

Contact lenses ................................................................. 13

Cook, James ......................................................................... 6

COSHH .............................................................................. 22

Customs ............................................................. 13, 14, 15

Dash-7 ............................................................ 9, 12, 15, 17

Dental care ................................................................ 10, 23

Discovery ................................................................................ 6

Electrical supply ............................................................... 19

Email ...................................................................................... 21

Endurance (see HMS Endurance)

Environmental protection ......................................... 24

Ernest Shackleton, ES, (see RRS Ernest Shackleton)

Exploration ........................................................................... 6

Falkland Islands .......... 9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 21, 24

Family and Friends Liaison ................................ 11, 21

FIDS .......................................................................................... 6

Field operations ......................................................... 9, 20

Film ........................................................................ 14, 15, 24

Finances ....................................................................... 11, 21

Fire .......................................................................................... 22

Flights .................................................................... 12, 13, 16

Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) ...... 6-9

Fossil Bluff ........................................................................... 20

Fuchs, Sir Vivien ................................................................. 6

Glasses ................................................................................. 13

Grytviken ............................................................................... 9

Halley .............................................................. 9, 19, 21, 23

Hazardous materials ..................................................... 14

Health .................................................................. 10, 11, 23

Health and safety ...................................................... 8, 22

Helicopters ........................................................................ 20

History .................................................................................... 6

HMS Endurance ................................................. 9, 18, 20

Immunisation .................................................................... 11

Insurance .................................................................... 10, 11

International Geophysical Year (IGY) .................... 6

Intranet ................................................................... 8, 22, 26

James Clark Ross, JCR, (see RRS James Clark Ross)

King Edward Point .................................................... 9, 24

King Fid ................................................................................ 18

Kitbag ............................................................................ 12, 13

Kurafid .................................................................................. 23

Law ................................................................................... 7, 26

Licenses (see Permits)

Medical Services ............................................................. 23

Medical examinations .................................................. 10

Medication ......................................................................... 13

MOD flights .............................................................. 16, 17

Mobile telephones ........................................................ 21

Money .......................................................................... 18, 19

National Insurance ........................................................ 11

NERC ................................................................... 6, 8, 9, 26

Newspapers ...............................................................14, 21

Ny-Ålesund .......................................................................... 8

Operating procedure ............................................. 7, 22

Operation Tabarin ................................................... 6, 26

Ozone hole .......................................................................... 5

Packing ................................................... 8, 12, 13, 14, 15

Packing dates .................................................................... 15

Parcels .................................................................................. 21

Passport .............................................................................. 11

Permits .................................................................... 7, 12, 25

Personal accounts .......................................................... 21

Philately ................................................................................ 21

Photography ..................................................................... 14

Port Lockroy .................................................................. 6, 9

Post ........................................................................................ 21

Power of Attorney ........................................................ 11

Protocol on Environmental Protection ................ 7

Recreation .......................................................................... 19

Risk assessments .................................................... 18, 19

Ross, James Clark .............................................................. 6

Rothera ......................... 9, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25

RRS Ernest Shackleton ............................ 9, 15, 16, 22

RRS James Clark Ross ............................. 9, 13, 15, 16

Sanitary towels ................................................................ 13

Santiago ............................................................................... 16

Scott, Robert Falcon ....................................................... 6

Shackleton, Ernest ............................................................ 6

Signy ......................................................................... 9, 21, 23

Skiing and snowboarding ................................... 14, 15

Smoking .............................................................. 18, 19, 22

South America ........................................ 11, 12, 16, 21

South Georgia .............................................. 6, 9, 21, 24

Sponsorship ...................................................................... 25

Stanley ............................................................................. 9, 16

Tax .......................................................................................... 11

Telephone .......................................................................... 21

Time differences ............................................................. 21

Training .......................................... 8, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23

Travel ...................... 8, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22

Twin Otter .................................................................... 9, 20

Vegetarians ........................................................................ 19

Visas ....................................................................................... 11

Voting .................................................................................... 11

Waste management ................................................ 8, 24

Watches .............................................................................. 14

Website .................................................................................. 8

Weddell, James .................................................................. 6

Wills ....................................................................................... 11

BAS Offices and Research Stations

Feedback and further informationWe welcome your feedback and comments on thisdocument.These should be addressed to:

Head of Administration and Logistics DivisionBritish Antarctic SurveyHigh Cross, Madingley RoadCambridge, CB3 0ET, UK

Email: operations@bas.ac.uk

For further information about BAS, please visit ourwebsite: www.antarctica.ac.uk

Published by British Antarctic SurveyDesign by theWorkshop.co.uk and Howlettdesign.co.ukPrinted by Flying Colours

© NERC 2005. All rights reserved.

www.antarctica.ac.uk