Emergencies
Everyone has a duty to prevent accidents: careful planning of every activity is important. Everyone should be familiar with any special emergency instructions relevant to the area in which they work.
On this page:
Emergency and incident action
In the event of assistance or advice being required in an emergency situation from the Chemistry Department staff please contact:
Deeba Zahoor
DSO
Telephone: +44 114 222 9434 or +44 7796 607880
Or:
Elaine Frary
Senior Support Technician
Telephone: +44 114 222 9487 or +44 7768 927827
Or
Joe Quick
Technical Manager
Telephone: +44 114 222 9310 or +44 7783831288
For out of hours contact details please see the Departmental Code of Practice.
Learn the procedure before the emergency arises, otherwise it may be too late!
The preferred system for summoning help is the University central telephone system. If the Ambulance, Fire or Police services are required, telephone 4444 (University Emergency Control Centre). The staff there will alert the appropriate services, so it is essential to give clear and concise information. This number should also be used for other life-threatening emergencies.
Other telephone systems which can be used are
public lines
mobile phones
These can be used for emergencies in the usual manner by dialling or keying 999 but in such cases, the University Emergency Control Centre (+44 114 222 4085) must also be notified as soon as possible.
Fire safety arrangements
Introduction
The evacuation alarm is a continuously-sounding siren. On hearing this alarm all occupants must evacuate the building immediately by the nearest safe exit, which may or may not be an emergency/fire exit and proceed to the evacuation assembly point, under the Concourse bridge. Anyone failing to evacuate a building when a fire alarm sounds (other than for pre-warned tests lasting no longer than 30 seconds) may be the subject of disciplinary action.
The fire alarms are currrently tested weekly on Wednesdays at 9.15am. A notice is displayed in the main entrance to each building on the appropriate day as a reminder that the alarm is to be tested that day. The alarm will sound for a maximum of 30 seconds. Should the fire alarm sound for any longer than this, it must be treated as signifying a real emergency.
What should you do if you discover a fire?
Anyone discovering a fire must:
Raise the alarm by
breaking a red fire alarm call point
or shouting "Fire".
Call the University Emergency Control Centre (who will call the Fire Service): dial 4444 on a University internal telephone.
When you contact the University Emergency Control Centre you must report the following:
The exact location of the fire.
Whether there are any casualties and if so, how many casualties there are.
Whether there are any special hazards.
Only if it is safe to do so should the fire be tackled with an appropriate portable extinguisher. Human safety must come first. If the fire is to be left, all doors should be closed to prevent its spread.
Once the evacuation of the building is complete, the Fire Service usually requests that the alarm be silenced. This is not a sign that the fire is out or that the building can be reoccupied.
When the Fire Service is certain it is safe to do so, they will indicate to a building representative that people can be allowed to re-enter the building. The building representative will be a member of the main entrance door guard party.
Door guard system
The Head of Department is responsible for arrangements to ensure that a guard is placed on each external door from their building to prevent anyone entering during the fire evacuation.
List of the current door guards and their positions (PDF, 87KB)
How to deal with injuries, accidents and serious medical emergencies
The general principle for handling any accident is as follows:
Ensure that the situation is safe to approach. If unsafe, and it is impossible to make it safe with no risk to yourself, call for immediate professional aid by phoning the University Emergency Control Centre by keying 4444.
Give first aid to any casualties.
Get help. Call a qualified first aider to the situation as soon as possible within the Chemistry buildings this can be acheived by dialling 29333 on a University phone or 4444. For serious injuries or medical emergencies also send for an ambulance by phoning the University Emergency Control Centre by dialling 4444.
Hospitals
In the event of illness or injury where medical attention is required, the injured person should be dispatched to the hospital Accident and Emergency department either by ambulance (in the case of a serious or urgent condition) or by car/taxi if the condition is less urgent.
The Northern General Hospital Accident and Emergency department is operational 24 hours a day.
The Royal Hallamshire Hospital has a minor injuries unit, located on B floor, which operates from 8.00am to 8.00pm.
If there is the possibility of chemical contamination you should ensure that the hospital staff dealing with you are aware of this and what it may be. This will help them with the treatment of your injury.
Where cyanides or hydrofluoric acid are used, a person with an appropriate specialist Specific Hazard First Aid training must be readily available.
Minor injuries
The Minor Injuries Unit can quickly treat most minor injuries for patients 'whose condition may require prompt treatment but is not life-threatening, such as cuts and bruises, minor burns, fractures to the hands and lower arms, lower legs and feet.' The Minor Injuries Unit is not a full accident and emergency unit however and, in particular, cannot perform certain procedures such as the removal of broken glass from inside wounds which requires surgery.
For minor injuries, first aid will probably be all that is required. The names of the nearest fully-qualified first aiders and emergency first aiders (who have received basic training) can be found inside the lid of all first aid boxes. However, the University Health Service (for students) or the Staff Occupational Health Unit (extension 26215) will gladly give advice where extra reassurance or a qualified opinion is felt appropriate.
Eye injuries
First aid should comprise of eyewash with copious amounts of water, and nothing else. There is a specialist Eye Casualty Clinic at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, A-Road, which is open 8.30am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.
This should be the first choice for any eye injury regardless of seriousness.
If this is closed, go to the Minor Injuries Unit (Royal Hallamshire Hospital) which is open between 8.00am and 8.00pm. Outside these hours you should go to the Accident and Emergency department at Northern General hospital.
Getting to hospital
If the injury is serious an ambulance will be called. If the injury is not serious enough to call an ambulance, you can call for a taxi and have the costs (to and from the hospital) reimbursed by the department - ask for a receipt for each journey. If possible, a friend or colleague should go with you.
Note that it is not advised to be driven to hospital by a colleague, even if the offer is made with good intentions, unless the driver specifically has insurance cover for work-related use. Otherwise if the driver has an accident en route, they will not be covered by their insurance policy. A taxi is the always the best option.
Reporting of accidents, incidents and occupational ill-health
All accidents, incidents and near misses should be reported using the online report form:
University of Sheffield Health and Safety accident reporting
Accidents
All accidents, however minor, which happen to University personnel (staff or students) engaged on University activities, or which happen to anyone on University premises must be reported. The importance of this cannot be over-stressed. Only if the accident is reported in the appropriate manner can action be taken to prevent a repetition, or a claim be supported for injury benefit.
The University is legally obliged to report certain accidents to the authorities at the earliest opportunity by telephone. Therefore, Health and Safety must be telephoned immediately if anyone has required hospital treatment as the result of an accident.
Furthermore, Health and Safety must be informed by telephone if an employee has been off work (or employed on restricted work) for more than three days as the result of an accident at work.
During normal working hours, Health and Safety are best contacted on telephone extensions 26198, 27460 or 27461. At other times, the Emergency Control Centre (24085) should be contacted and requested to pass on the details to a member of Health and Safety staff.
In all cases of accident, a report form should be completed online within 24 hours.
Any additional information which subsequently becomes available (eg X-ray results, time off work, local investigation details) should be reported as soon as possible. This can be done via the Departmental Safety Officer or directly to Health and Safety.
Dangerous occurrences/incidents
If an event occurs which had the potential to cause injury, but without doing so, it is equally important to report it following the procedure outlined above, so that preventative measures can be instigated if necessary.
The University is required by law to report to the appropriate authorities certain specified dangerous occurrences. All fires, however small, should be reported immediately via the online reporting form.
University of Sheffield Health and Safety accident reporting
Occupational ill-health
Where a person suffers from ill-health which they believe may be caused by, or related to, their employment in the University, basic details should be reported on a normal accident report form. If appropriate, the Staff Occupational Health Unit (extension 26215) can provide guidance or advice in this matter.
If at any time you have any questions regarding this website or any other safety issues please contact the Departmental Safety Officer or any of the staff listed on the Contact page.