Explore more #3: undertaking a meaningful risk assessment

Are you developing an idea for an overseas expedition or fieldwork project and in need of expert guidance on your next steps?

Throughout the first half of 2025, the RGS Explore team will be hosting fortnightly lunchtime webinars, each on a specific topic. You’ll learn how to refine and launch a successful exploratory venture, whether that’s a challenging journey with a purpose, field research in a remote location, or anything in between.

In the third event in this series, we will be discussing the critical topic of expedition safety, including the true value of undertaking a risk assessment, strategies for mitigating identified risks, and the importance of thorough emergency response planning.

You will learn:

• The importance of assessing risks and weighing them against potential benefits, and how this process informs your overall planning,

• Risk assessment and mitigation planning approaches, principles and techniques, and

• What standards and training opportunities exist in support of expedition and fieldwork safety.

About the hosts

Tom Allen is the Society's new Expeditions and Fieldwork Manager. He is an explorer, author, trail prospector and responsible travel advocate specialising in the Caucasus region, as well a past recipient of the Society Land Rover Bursary.

In addition to supporting our core audience of fieldwork and expeditions practitioners, Tom will be helping the Society to expand the Society’s support to many more people, from leading experts to the simply curious, who want to make the world a better place as they travel with purpose, develop geographical knowledge, and share what they learn.

Shane Winser is the Royal Geographical Society’s Expeditions and Fieldwork advisor, providing advice, information, and training to a wide range of scientific, educational, and adventurous expeditions. Together with colleagues, Shane curates the Society’s annual Explore weekend held each November.

Shane is a member of BSI’s technical panel for BS 8848: the British Standard that specifies operational requirements for organisers of a wide variety of overseas ventures including university and academic fieldwork, gap year experiences, adventure holidays, charity challenges and research expeditions. She is a co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine, now in its third edition, and editor of the RGS Expedition Handbook, soon be to be updated as digital resources.

Booking information

• Advance booking for this event is required. In order to book you will need an account on our website. If you already have an account you will be prompted to log in when you click 'book now'. Please create an account if you do not have one yet (you do not need to be a member of the Society to create an account).

Attending online

• Joining instructions will be included in your confirmation email.

If you have any questions or require assistance with your booking, please email events@rgs.org