The thought of a fire alarm sounding is nerve-wracking for all of us, but please don't worry - you will know what to do!

The Evacuation Procedures can be found on the notice board in the Law Library Office. The evacuation route is the same route you take when you complete headcounts.

If a fire alarm sounds:

• Take a breath.
• Go out into the Library to complete the 'sweep' (using the headcount/evacuation route).
• In each room say loudly and clearly, 'Please evacuate the building through the nearest fire exit'.
• Remember that there are fire exits throughout the Library, not just the main exit.
• If someone has mobility issues or is a wheelchair user, direct them to the 'Refuge Area' (using the fire exit in the Law Reports Corridor by the looseleaf files that leads out to the metal steps outside). Inform the Fire Warden/Officer.
• It is your responsibility to tell people to leave; it is their responsibility to actually leave. If someone refuses, inform the Fire Warden/Officer.
• Do not re-enter the building.
• The Meeting Point is on Windsor Terrace (Assembly Point Q, near the student flats at the back of the Law School. across the road).
• Once you have left the building, inform the Coordinator on duty at the Philip Robinson Library.
• Await instruction to return into the building.

Note: A Student Aide is not responsible for ensuring the ground floor of the Law School is clear during an evacuation (this includes the Law PC Cluster). Security will attend to deal with this.

Law evacuation routes for members of staff on duty:

If there is a Yellow Weather Warning, we should deploy the flood barriers at Fire Exits 9 and 5 (English Law Reports and the exit nearest the Old Postgraduate Room).

Law Student Aides: 

If there is heavy rain forecast and a Yellow Weather Warning, please inform the Coordinator-on-Duty and ask that they send someone across to deploy the flood barriers.

Library Assistants:

Training will be provided to Library Assistants and the flood barriers should only be deployed/removed if you feel confident in doing so. If you feel the rain is heavy and there is a Yellow Weather Warning, please deploy the barriers. You may also receive a phone call asking that the barriers be deployed.

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) define manual handling as:

"...any transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or bodily force".

The load can be an object, person or animal.

The MHOR 1992 set out a clear ranking of measures for dealing with risks from manual handling, these are:

• first : avoid hazardous manual handling operations so far as is reasonably practicable;
• second : assess any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided; and
• third: reduce the risk of injury so far as is reasonably practicable.

Library work is very physical so all members of staff must be aware of their own abilities, to assess each task in advance and to use appropriate equipment (e.g. trolley, white box with handles, kick stool) where possible in order to reduce the risk of injury.

In Case of Emergency: 

Security/Panic alarms can be found:

• in the Law Library Office, under the Help Desk (press the 2 red buttons at the same time).
• in the Law PC Cluster (3 alarms, press the 2 red buttons at the same time).

These alarms are silent and will alert University Security, who will come to your aid. While the Law PC Cluster alarms are not our responsibility, Security may report to you when they are activated.

Please inform the Coordinator on duty at the Philip Robinson Library if these are activated.

Emergency Contacts:

• University Police - Dial 6666
• Ambulance, Fire Brigade, Police - Dial 9999

Non-Emergency Contacts:

If you require Security for a non-emergency, please dial:

• University Security - 86817

The Philip Robinson Library Coordinators and Attendants are also on hand if there are any problems.

• Library Attendants - 87602
• Philip Robinson Library Customer Service Coordinators - 86688
• Philip Robinson Library Customer Services -  87662

Safe Zone App:

Please download the University's Safe Zone App and check in whenever you are working in the Library.

There are two radios for use in the Law Library Office. Instructions for these are posted on the noticeboard in the Office. Please review this information regularly.

The radios are usually silenced throughout the working day (Monday-Friday) with any contact alerts being received via the landline (0191 2087944), but can be left on a low volume during the evenings/weekends while a Student Aide is on duty.

Should you require a trained First Aider, please contact the Coordinator at the Philip Robinson Library:

• Philip Robinson Library Customer Services -  87662
• Use Library Chat for instant messaging

Student Wellbeing:

If a student is in need of Student Wellbeing support during office hours, please advise they contact:

• Telephone Consultancy - 0191 208 3333 (ask for Student Wellbeing)
• Online Form - my.ncl.ac.uk/students/contact
• Helpdesk - Level 2, King's Gate

The Student Wellbeing Service is not an emergency service. They do not operate an out-of-hours service. Should out-of-hours support be required, please contact the Coordinator at the Philip Robinson Library in the first instance.

You can also contact University Security on 0191 222 6817 (direct dial 86817).

If you feel a student's life is in imminent danger, you should call 999 (direct dial 9999).

If you notice a defect or safety issue, in the first instance, please report the issue to the Coordinator at the Philip Robinson Library and provide as much detail as possible about the issue and its location.

If it is not possible to report to the Philip Robinson Library, please contact the Estate Support Service Helpdesk (within working hours) on 0191 208 7171 or at ess-helpdesk@ncl.ac.uk.

For emergencies in out of office hours please contact the ESS Security Control Centre on 0191 208 6817 or 86817 from a University phone.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy.

You will find training on this in the NU Essentials canvas training module. You MUST complete this training.

Two things that may affect your work:

• NEVER give out personal information relating to a library user.
• Close down any screens showing a library account once finished with a query.
• 'Lock' the PC when you are away from the office.