Civil Engineers are generally involved both in field and office work. The field work demands making observations with various types of instruments either; (a) to determine the relative locations of points, or (b) to set out stakes as per plan to guide the construction operations. The office work involves computing and processing the surveyed data from field, and preparing maps, plots, charts, reports, etc.

Sometimes, the fieldwork is performed in difficult or unsafe environment (e.g., sites close to landslides, volcanoes, heavy snow cover, forest fire, highways and railroads), so it is important that safety precautions are taken. Construction sites where heavy machinery operate are also hazardous and dangerous. The danger is often enhanced by poor hearing conditions due to excessive noise at the construction site as well as poor visibility caused by the dust, haze and obstructions.

To ensure safety, vests of fluorescent yellow color should always be worn, and flagging materials of the same color can be attached to the surveying equipment to make them more visible from a distance. Depending on the work at the site, proper signage may be placed before the work areas so as to inform the working of a survey team ahead.

Proper barricades can also be placed at some sites to divert the traffic around surveying work, or manually people with flags can ask drivers of vehicles to slow or even stop, if necessary. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the US Department of Labor has developed safety standards and guidelines for various conditions and situations in the field.

Depending on the location of the survey site and the time of year, weather-related harms, such as frostbite and over-exposure to the sun, which can cause skin cancers, sunburns, and heat stroke, can also affect the field surveys. To overcome these problems, fluids at regular interval should be consumed, large hats can be worn and sunscreen applied. On extremely hot days, surveying should commence at dawn and stop around midday.

Other hazards that could be present during field surveys include wild animals, poisonous snakes, bees, insects, spiders, etc. Surveyors should be knowledgeable about the types of hazards that can be expected in any local area, and always be alert while working at the site. To prevent injury from these sources, protective boots and clothing should be worn and insect spray is used.

Certain tools can also be dangerous, such as saws and axes that are sometimes used for clearing the line of sight. These must always be handled with great care. Also, care must be taken while handling certain surveying instruments, such as long-range poles and leveling rods, especially when working around overhead live wires, to prevent accidental shocks.

Thus, it is important that surveyors always take precautions in the field, and follow the safety guidelines and standards. A first-aid kit should be carried in the field, which includes all of the necessary antiseptics, ointments, bandage materials, and other accessories needed to provide first aid during minor accidents/injuries. The survey party should also carry important telephone numbers to call in emergencies/serious situations.