BS 8848 British Standard
BS 8848:2014 is the British Standard for organising and managing visits, fieldwork, expeditions, and adventurous activities outside the UK.
The standard aims to reduce risk from injury or illness and enables those that declare conformity with the requirements of BS8848 with a way of being able to demonstrate that they are following good practice.
What does BS 8848 do?
BS 8848 specifies operational requirements for organisers of a wide variety of ventures. These include adventurous and educational activities abroad including university and academic fieldwork, gap year experiences, adventure holidays, charity challenges and research expeditions.
BS 8848 is nationally recognised as an important way in which organisers can demonstrate that they have good safety practices in place when offering to provide any venture outside the UK.
BS 8848 has been designed and built on existing UK guidance and through wide consultation has created an agreed national standard that benchmarks current good practice in safety management procedures.
Who is BS 8848 for?
It is aimed at both those who organise such ventures and those who participate. All who understand BS 8848 will be better informed about the risks and safety management procedures that good practice indicates should be in place before any agreement to take part is distributed and signed.
Download the BSI Consumer guide to BS 8848 to learn more about the British Standard and check if a venture you (or your children) are hoping to take part in is likely to be following safe practice.
The standard is available to purchase or to view a copy of BS 8848:2014, contact your local public or university library.
The Royal Geographical Society is a member of the BSI technical committee that first drafted the standard in 2007. The current edition of the standard was published in April 2014 and reviewed without change in 2019. The next five-year review of content will take place in 2025.
Compliance workshops
For dates of the next BS 8848 compliance workshops or to arrange a bespoke compliance workshop please contact Geography Outdoors.