General Rules of Safety

The Head of the Division is responsible for ensuring that the staff and students work under safe conditions. All staff and students must understand safety procedures and use them in the course of their work. The Division of Informatics shares the JCMB with several other Departments and must show consideration for the safety of staff and students of these Departments and indeed for all visitors to the building.

Some of the Departments with which we share the building have equipment which is rather more hazardous than ours; we must therefore take seriously any emergency which may arise. If called upon to vacate the building, do so immediately.

Never run in the corridors. The unfortunate design of the smoke doors is such that it is difficult to see anyone approaching from the other side and if a door is pushed violently open, someone could be injured.

When the fire siren sounds, leave the building by the shortest safe corridor and staircase route. Remain outwith the building until officially authorised to re-enter by a member of the emergency team. In the event of encountering smoke in the corridor, go to a fire exit in the opposite direction, making sure that the smoke doors are closing behind you. Do NOT use the lifts. Do NOT attempt to remove bicycles or any other bulky items of equipment you may have, as there is serious risk that these items may jam the escape corridor.

Never wedge open the smoke doors; ensure that they close properly after you. Any faulty door-closing equipment should be reported immediately to the servitors, Ext.508599.

It is necessary for staff and students using the computer halls to know the locations of fire extinguishers and emergency exits, Fire Alarm `break glass points' and Emergency Stop buttons. These are all clearly marked.

There are CO₂ extinguishers in both computer halls and electronic workshops. There are water and CO₂ extinguishers in all corridors. Water extinguishers must NOT be used on an electrical fire. There are first aid boxes with in both computer halls (technician labs), the project laboratory (1512), the staff common room (2510) and the mechanical workshop (Room 1407). There is also a central Building First Aid Box held by the servitors. These are kept stocked and inspected regularly.

Untidiness in the workplace is one of the most common causes of accidents. Passageways between benches must be kept clear and floor space kept clear allowing easy access and easy exit in the event of an emergency. Emergency exits must never be obstructed. Obstructive items such as equipment or packing must never be placed in emergency passageways.

Dust coats or overalls are provided for technical staff for their protection and also for the cleanliness of their clothes. A good dustcoat can prevent a nasty burn and is also useful in restraining loose clothing when machining. Dustcoats must not be worn in coffee rooms or in the food halls.

Soldering irons represent a fire hazard, as well as possibly burning someone. All irons used must have a proper holder and must be returned to this holder when not in use.

All electrical equipment used in this Division is checked annually and tested, where appropriate, using an approved Portable Appliance Tester, and labelled accordingly showing the date of test and the tester's signature. This information is kept in a Safety log and is available for inspection by the Health and Safety Executive in keeping with the Electricity at Work Regulations,1989. Any personal article brought into the Division which is powered by mains electricity MUST be presented to the Technicians to be properly tested and labelled as safe Before it may be connected to the supply. Heaters can be supplied by the Division for those who work late in the evening; application should be made via Support (support@dcs.ed.ac.uk).