Access to College buildings out of hours

The out of hours system allows you to request access to work outside of building opening hours (between 00.00 and 06.00). Please note that the Lone Working Code of Practice must also be complied with, and that the out of hours system does not give lone working consent. Please note that you will have access to the out of hours application only if you are staff or are enrolled to a PG research programme.

Out of hours policy 

  1. Permission to access a building out of hours will only be granted to staff and students if one of the following apply:
    1. There is a requirement to access a live experiment, for which a physical presence is required out of hours.
    2. There is a requirement to communicate/collaborate with others in different time zones (e.g. videoconference with collaborators in other time zones), which has to be undertaken at College.
    3. There is a requirement to undertake work which is essential to College operations, and which needs to be undertaken at a time when the building is closed. 

  2. Permission will be granted by your Head of Departments using the Out of Hours system.

  3. Permission will be granted for at most 1 year, and will need to be re-applied for once the request has expired.

  4. Access during Out of Hours will be provided by using the Card Only mode of the College swipe card system to allow access through door and/or barrier only to staff or students with specific access rights applied to their Imperial College swipe card.

  5. Heads of Department must be satisfied that appropriate lone working arrangements are made in line with the College’s Code of Practice: Safe Management of Lone Working, and that wellbeing implications are considered prior to out of hours access being granted.

  6. Those who use buildings without permission will be required to leave.
    1. Where it is necessary to apply sanctions, a consistent approach will be taken.
    2. For students, this may involve using the Code of Student Discipline.
    3. For staff, this may involve using the Disciplinary Policy.
    4. Factors to consider in determining the sanction include: whether this is the first offence, whether the building was left insecure, whether there was significant risk to self or others, and whether there was abusive behaviour towards others.

Guidance notes for filling in the form

Applicants

  • The out of hours form is on the My Imperial site.

  • If you click on the out of hours card, you can create new requests for out of hours work or view any existing applications you have on the My Imperial system.

  • You have to submit a new application when your current request expires.

  • Reminders will be sent out 2 weeks prior to the expiry date of the approved application and on the day it expires.

  • The system allows you to add and remove approvers after you have submitted the form. You can also change the order of approvers if required, i.e. if your Supervisor is on leave, you can move them to the bottom of the approvers list.

  • Group emails/inbox cannot be used as approvers i.e. biosafety@imperial.ac.uk

Approvers

  • The out of hours form is on the My Imperial site.  

  • You can approve/review via smartphones or tablets.

  • Use the request revision button to request to be moved further down the approval chain, to change, remove or add an approver or to make comments for the requestor to revise their application.

  • Only use the reject button if the application cannot be revised to allow out of hours work to start or if out of hours working is not allowed.

  • There is no need to make comments when you use the approve button.

  • If you have any queries or problems using the system, please contact Administrator for Biological and Radiological Safety.

Guidance notes for filling in the form