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Safety instructions

The university finds it important that students and staff are offered a safe environment. Read here about the safety measures in place and what you should do in case of emergencies or other incidents.

Safety measures

If you are following a programme that involves practical sessions, laboratory work, working with people or spending time outdoors, additional precautionary measures might be required. If your faculty or programme has an additional tab on this page, make sure to read it carefully.

Emergencies and incidents

Find out what to do in cases of emergencies or other incidents.

International students: beware of telephone scams

Police are warning international students, particularly those from China, about phone calls from scammers posing as employees of banks or governement agencies.

The scammer will claim you need to move your money to another bank account, or that you are being criminally investigated and must break all contact with others by e.g. switching off your phone and not going home or to class. They will then tell your parents or family members that you have disappeared and demand a ransom. As your family are unable to reach you, they might believe the scammer. 

Hang up and call 112

  • If this happens to you, hang up immediately and call the police via 112.
  • Need help contacting the police? Call the university's emergency number: +31 32 033 1343 (available 24/7). Please note that this number can currently only be reached from a mobile phone

How is Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) arranged at the Faculty of Science?

Who is responsible for your safety and who can be approached with questions about health, safety and the environment within the Faculty of Science? Read all about it in Information Sheet A010 OSH organisation.

Almost everybody works behind a computer screen. At a university, developping complaints of arms, neck and/or shoulders (CANS) is one of the most important and most underestimated risks. CANS was formerly referred to as RSI, repetitive strain injury. How you can prevent CANS/RSI, is in AMD information sheet A021. CANS is not only a risk factor in the office, but also in the laboratory. Read RhL030 RSI and ergonomics in the lab.

Many employees do also work in a lab. A warehouse is also a workplace and support staff and third parties may work anywhere in the buildings. Your workplace can also be outside the university's premises: at home, in the field, or during a trip or internship abroad. You can read more information about all these workplaces in AMD information sheet A020 My workplace.

Depending on your activies, at your workplace you may be exposed to several types of risks. Some activities are subject to regulations or permits. Your physical and mental fitness may also affect the way in which the work has to be arranged. Think of pregnant women who work with chemicals or ionising radiation, pacemaker wearers and magnetic fields or of medication that reduce alertness. Please read AMD information sheet A030 What to report?

At the workplace, risks and rules are communicated with signs that you can find in AMD information sheet A022 Safety signs.

Safety at your workplace does not only depend on your own activities, but also on the risks in the rest of the building. Please be aware of your environment and explore your escape route: how to find the nearest emergency exit upon alarm? Where is the nearest fire extinguisher and first aid kit?
In a laboratory it is also wise to know your route (blind!) to the emergency shower and at which sink you can find an eye wash bottle. More info can be found on the page about Evacuation.

When your office is near laboratories, or when you just sometimes need to be in a laboratory for your work, it is useful to know what signs and symbols on the lab doors mean. This information can be read in AMD information sheet A050 Betreden van labs: werken in een laboratoriumomgeving (Dutch only).

It is important that, before you start, you receive proper instruction about the risks in your workplace. In this way, mistakes and incidents can be prevented. Instruction will mainly occur at your specific workplace, however some instructions are given by or arranged via the AMD:

Instruction and fire exinguisher training for new employees

New employees receive an onboarding magazine and information on safe work conditions at the start of their employment.

Are you going to work in a laboratory? Then you will receive an invitation to participate in the safety training.

A couple of times a year, the AMD organises a fire extinguisher training for employees who have never put out a fire before. In order to be able to register for this event, the faculty board also sends an e-mail, but you can also look at the Events page for data and application. Search for "fire extinguisher training".

Working with GMO’s and biological safety

New employees, guests and students who are going to work withh GMO themselves or who will work in a GMO classified lab have to register with the biological safety officer (BSO). They need to follow the GMO instruction (in English). Without having followed this instruction, you cannot work in a GMO lab or with GMO's.

Working with radioactive substances or radiation equipment

Before working with these, you should follow an external course (called "5B" course) and pass the exam. Please report to the AMD when you want to work with radiation.

Working with hydrogen fluoride (HF)

It isn't the acid part that does the harm, HF is in fact a nerve poison! You may NEVER work with HF without the special anti-HF kit (with antidote) at hand! Please contact the AMD for a kit and the HF-instruction before you start working with HF. The AMD can also organise a goup HF training if necessary.

Working with lasers

Before you are allowed to start working in a class 3 or 4 laser lab, you should do the e-learning laser safety (in English) and pass the test. Registration for the e-learning laser worker is possible via the form.

Workplace adjustment request

If you were not able to adjust your workplace set-up by following the directions given in AMD information sheet A021 Preventing CANS/RSI, one of the Faculty's AMD employees may advise you. Do you have any questions? Please contact the AMD via amd@science.leidenuniv.nl.

When you start working in a laboratory, you have to take notice of several requirements beforehand. This is not only about the materials you are going to use, but also legislation and internal regulations. The section 'Laboratory general' describes all preparative actions you have to take and all background information you need before you can start experiments, like doing a risk assessment and thinking about the necessity of permits or selection of the right type of safety gear. The section 'Working safely with...' is about the actual risks and how you can deal with those in your laboratory.

Research risk assessment

Practical guidelines for the performance of a risk assessment in the design phase/before the start of research. RhL010

Task Risk Analysis

The Task Risk analysis is a tool for assessing risks.  

Safety equipment

Safety equipment general

RhL020
  Glove information for users RhL020a
  Glove policy Glove policy
  Ordering gloves RhL020b
  Glove information for managers and supervisors RhL020c

Laboratory classification

About classified laboratories and corresponding rules and permits for the  layout / furnishing of labs and the performance of activities. RhL021

Ventilation and exhaustion

About different types of ventilation, their correct use and adequate selection. RhL022

The fumehood

About correct operation and use of fumehoods. RhL023

RSI and ergonomics in the lab

About prevention of RSI/CANS with repetitive lab activities (pipetting, microscopy). RhL030

OSH when purchasing

Regulations you should be aware of when purchasing equipment. Balance safe use and costs. RhL040

Transportation and shipment of research material

Over regels en (import)vergunningen bij vervoer van chemicaliën en biologisch onderzoeksmateriaal, zowel intern als , of verzenden naar/ontvangen van elders. RhL050

Certification, maintenance and repairs

Which equipment needs to be checked and/or serviced regularly and who is allowed to do that?  

Relocation and room modifications

Relocations and modifications to or in the room may influence safety and health in a positive or negative way. The Management-of-chance procedure should be carried out before the change. RhL070

Third party activities in the lab

What to do when maintenance personnel or other "outsiders" enter your (classified) laboratory to start their activities? Is that safe and allowed? RhL080

Waste collection guide

Description of the various chemical/biological/general waste streams within the Fcaulty of Science, written by Facility Management.

RhL090

Chemicals registration (GROS)

Short description to start working with GROS. RhL100

Pregnancy and work

About additional measures when pregnant and working in a lab. With risk checklist and background information. About rights and obligations for pregnant woman and their supervisors.  
Chemicals

Chemicals

Contains background information about hazard symbols, H&P statements, MSDS, limit values and general precautions for the use of chemicals. VOM011

CMR substances

Special precautions when working with carcinogens, mutagens and reproduction toxic (CMR) substances. VOM012

Storage of hazardous substances

Rules on chemicals storage from the Health and Safety at Work Act and the PGS-15 translated for users in a laboratory environment. VOM014

HF and other fluorides

HF can lead to very severe injuries, even death. A safe working procdure for HF is described and the contents of the anti-HF-kit are discussed. VOM015

Nanomaterials

Describes the current Faculty's procedure for handling nanomaterials and the specialists' method to assess the risk of the used nanomaterials.  VOM050
Gasses and cryogenic substances

Gasses

Information about the safe use of gasses. VOM021

Storage of  gasses

Rules on storage of gasses from the Health and Safety at Work Act and the PGS-15 translated for users in a laboratory environment.  

Cryogenic substances

About risks and measures when working with cryogenic substances. See also the website of the cryogenic department. VOM025
Biological material

Biological material

What is biological material and how can I work safely with it? Includes general background information and legislation. See also the university's webpage on biological material.  

GMO work organisation

Describes roles and responsibilities of all participants in the GMO organisation. VOM033a

Disinfection

About the effectivity and suitability of various dvan de verschillende disinfection methods.  
Radiation, lasers and magnets

Ionising radiation

Rules, risks and measures when working with radio active isotopes and radiation equipment. About X-ray and gamma radiation.  

Lasers

Rules, risks and measures when working with lasers. The laser safety organisation and all university's rules are described in the Handbook Laser Safety.  

Magnets

Rules, risks and measures when working with magnets.  

Other types of radiation

About UV, IR, microwave, radio frequent radiation etc. See also the Dutch brochure Elektromagnetische velden in arbeidssituaties.  

Fieldwork

Rules, risks and measures when working in the field by biologists or environmentalists.  

Electricity

Rules, risks and measures when working with en onderhoud van elektrische apparatuur  

Noise

About harmful and objectionable noise at work, and measures to protect your hearing. VOM080

You can read more about raising alarm and evacuation in the buildings of the Faculty of Science in infosheet A040  Calamities and incidents.

Safety Instruction session for Master Physics students

LION (Leiden Institute of Physics) organizes safety instruction sessions twice a year, in January and in October. These safety sessions are for everyone involved in working with lasers, chemicals, cryogenic liquids and/or electricity. You will be also informed about safety rules, possible danger and compulsory personal protection. The instruction session is compulsory for all new laser workers, new workers with chemicals, cryogenic liquids and/or electricity and also for everyone working with above mentioned items and who have never attended such a session before. It is also strongly recommended that those who work with lasers, chemicals, cryogenic liquids and/or electricity on a regular basis should take the opportunity of attending this meeting once a year in order to stay up-to-date with the rules.

Master students should attend the safety instructions before starting their Master's research project in an experimental group. You will receive an invitation from the programme coordinator when the safety instruction will take place or you can send a mail beforehand to onderwijscoordinator@physics.leidenuniv.nl

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