Guidance for volunteer fieldworkers

Bites and stings

• Check for bees, wasps, hornets and fleas when visiting cavities or cleaning out nest boxes.
• Wear gloves when cleaning out nest boxes.
• Clean boxes in autumn (legal after 1 August) to avoid a build-up of fleas.

Injuries from talons or bills

• Wear safety spectacles and gloves as appropriate.

Whoosh nets

• Wear eye protection when setting nets.
• Set in pairs, allowing one person to hold the peg in place while elastic is tensioned by a second person.
• Use pegs of sufficient length and ensure they are securely hammered into the ground.
• Do not use excessive tension.

Cannon nets

• Refer to guidance in the Cannon-netting Manual (supplied to licensed cannon netters).

Ladder work

• Refer to the Ladder Association LA/LA455 guidance.

Climbing

• Refer to the HSE Tree Climbing guidance.

Diseases, including avian influenza (bird flu)

The risk to volunteers from a wide range of diseases can be reduced via good hygiene practice. One of the diseases that ringers may come into contact with is HPAI (avian influenza/bird flu). The UK Health Security Agency has stated that AI is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low; humans can, however, become infected via close contact with infected birds or inhalation of aerosols containing virus, their droppings and nearby water. 

Personal hygiene

• Avoid handling dead birds, or live birds which appear to be infected, their droppings, or any water nearby, with your bare hands. If handling is required, e.g. to read a ring, disposable nitrile gloves should be worn; if these are not available, an inverted plastic bag can be used. After use, the bag should be turned back on itself, placed in a second plastic bag, tied and disposed of in the normal household waste.
• Wash hands with appropriate soaps/disinfectants after handling animals or coming into contact with animal droppings, soil, sand or water that may be contaminated,, e.g. soap and water, antibacterial wipes, 70% alcohol solution, or virucides (e.g. Safe4, Virkon). Note that some of the disinfectants used for AI precautions are teratogenic (can cause structural and functional changes to a foetus) and use by any person who is pregnant, or has a possibility of being pregnant, should be avoided under any circumstances. Inspect the Material Safety Data Sheet, provided by the manufacturer, for any disinfectants used.
• Keep cuts and abrasions completely covered by a waterproof occlusive dressing. If a cut or abrasion occurs during ringing, clean the wound immediately with soap and water/antiseptic wipes and cover it with a waterproof dressing.
• Avoid any activity during ringing sessions that might bring your hands close to your face until your hands are clean, e.g. rubbing your eyes, touching your mouth, eating, drinking or smoking. 
• Remove any faeces deposited on hands or clothes as soon as possible, sanitising the area using the appropriate cleaning agent.
• Employ appropriate levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Clothing and equipment hygiene

• At the end of each session, wash/clean all ringing equipment, including bird bags, using the appropriate cleaning agent, away from food hygiene areas, and store it away from living areas. Note that some of the disinfectants used for AI precautions are teratogenic (can cause structural and functional changes to a foetus) and use by any person who is pregnant, or has a possibility of being pregnant, should be avoided under any circumstances. 
• Avoid using fieldwork clothes for other purposes, wash them after each fieldwork session, and avoid mixing with non-fieldwork clothes in the wash. . Similarly, disinfect boots, and any clothes that cannot be placed in washing machine, at the end of each session, using the appropriate cleaning agent. 
• Use sealed bags to transport solied clothes, equipment and sanitisation materials away from the ringing site. Dispose of solied sanitisation materials in domestic or commercial waste.

Ringing techniques

• Handle birds in a well-lit and well-ventilated area to minimise the possibility of inhaling dried faecal or other material.
• Open bird bags away from the face to avoid inhaling powdered faeces and feather scale.
• Minimise the time spent on activities that necessitate blowing to part feathers (e.g. assessing moult, brood patch scores) and move your face away from the bird to inhale. If using a tube, ensure that the same end is always placed in the mouth. 

Symptoms of avian influenza and seeking medical advice

• Familiarise yourself with the symptoms of Avian Influenza in birds. These signs vary between species but include: swollen head; blue discolouration of the neck and throat; loss of appetite; respiratory distress such as gaping beak, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, rattling; diarrhoea; fewer eggs laid; increased mortality; neurological signs such as trembling, falling over, swimming or walking in circles.
• Familiarise yourself with the symptoms of Avian Influenza in humans. These symptoms include: conjunctivitis; fever with a temperature >=38ºC; cough or shortness of breath requiring hospitalisation; diarrhoea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Learn more about the symptoms of avian influenza on the NHS website.
• Seek medical advice immediately should you display symptoms of any illness that may be related to ringing or nest recording, inform your GP or healthcare provider that you may have been exposed to HPAI and other potential avian zoonoses.

Rabies

Rabies may be encountered via bats caught in mist nets.

• Ensure you have up to date rabies vaccination if the probability of capturing bats is significant.
• Avoid sites/times of day when the probability of capturing bats is greatest.
• If a bat is caught in a mist net, wear gloves during extraction.
• If bitten, wash the wound immediately with soap and water for at least five minutes and cleanse with disinfectant.
• Seek immediate medical advice from your GP, even if you have up to date rabies vaccinations.