*PREPARATIONS FOR THE FIELD

• Reception and planning for your event

• Availability and condition of equipment received

  All equipment needs to be thoroughly checked out by event personel before leaving for the field. There should now be enough resources in the HFC to allow event personel to select from a variety of equipment.

• Field training

  For those with previous Antarctic field experience, the AFT refresher is a reminder (in case people have short memories) of Antarctic conditions. However, Antarctica NZ should consider whether AFT is a beneficial and an efficient use of funds for personnel with continuous Antarctic field experience. As I understand, AFT was set up in 1995 for event personnel who had no Antarctic field experience within the last 5 years. It is not clear why this has changed to one of mandatory AFT every 3 years.

• Field party equipment 'shakedown' journey

  All equipment was functional.

• Delays at Scott Base, whatever the cause

  Weather

• Safety and Risk Management processes

  I have considerable concern regarding the 'new' safety and risk management processes. It is not clear how these procedures contribute to improved safety in the field, which essentially relies on the equipment and judgment of event personnel in the field. These new proceedures should take into account previous experiences of the field party. Implementing these proceedures contributes to a substantial increase in the work load of both the science and base personel without, in my view, clear advances in field safety.

• General comments about Scott Base

  Scott Base staff were generally up to the usual high standards of 'can-do' and help that I have received in previous years.

• Other comments

  Comments such at those found on the BM report (11 Dec. 2005) were unwarrented.