Behind the scenes: Keeping Imperial running

Thank you to all of our colleagues who continue to work during the Christmas closure period to keep Imperial running.

At this time of year, many colleagues will be planning a break during the Christmas closure period. But Imperial never closes, and colleagues continue to work during this time to keep our students, colleagues and campuses safe and to ensure essential research can continue to take place. 

We spoke to some of the staff behind the scenes.   

Dr Sijia Yu, Warden for Kemp Porter Hall 

I’m an Imperial College Research Fellow in the Department of Surgery and Cancer, focusing on ovarian cancer research. Outside of my day job, I’m a Warden at Kemp Porter Hall, Imperial’s largest undergraduate hall. I lead a team of 15 and it is our job to look after student welfare, build an inclusive community, and provide emergency support for our students if needed, whether that’s medical, mental health related, or practical issues in their living space. 

I’ve been working as a Subwarden or Warden for a number of years now and I often volunteer to cover the Christmas period. It’s a quieter time, but we still have around 100 students staying in our hall over this period. It can feel isolating for students who can’t go home, especially international students, so we make sure they’re supported. We check in on students who we know might need a bit more support and are the first point of contact if something happens.  

We also organise festive activities like secret Santa and movie nights to bring people together, which often include festive snacks!  

Because I am working, I can’t be with my family during this time, but being part of this community helps me feel connected too. The work we do feels meaningful – it’s all about making sure no one feels alone.  

Bill Duffy, Community Safety and Security Officer, Security and Community Safety 

I’ve been at Imperial for nearly three years now as a Security and Community Safety Officer. Our job is to keep our colleagues and our campuses safe. That can mean helping someone locked out of a room, checking labs with high-risk equipment, or making sure VIP visits run smoothly. We’re here 24/7, 365 days a year to support the day-to-day running of Imperial across all of our campuses.  

Working over Christmas is a bit different. Not all students go home, and some colleagues are still working, so we make sure they’re safe and the buildings are secure. We do extra patrols on university closure days, in the same way we do during night shifts, just to keep an eye on things. It’s generally quiet, but the people you meet are in good spirits. I’ve worked Christmas Day before, and the chats and festive greetings make it easier. Some staff even drop by with biscuits or chocolates, which are always welcome!  

For me, it’s about being there for everyone, whether staff, students, or visitors. When schedules allow, I will always take time to have a chat, and it’s those little moments that make the job worthwhile. 

Zuza Wiewiora, Support Services Supervisor, Central Biomedical Services (CBS)   

My job is all about making sure everything runs smoothly in our labs in Hammersmith, ensuring the technicians and researchers have clean and operational equipment.  

One of my team’s main responsibilities is keeping the animal cages clean by operating the cage washing machines. The work in the labs doesn’t stop over the closure period, and the welfare of the animal is the most important thing. We do a lot of planning ahead to prepare for the closure period so we know what equipment will be required, and we continue to come in while the university is closed.  

I’ve been at Imperial for almost ten years now. I started out as a housekeeper washing gowns but I was really interested in the cage wash facility which was next door. I moved into support services within Central Biomedical Services and now I’m a supervisor. I’m really grateful to my colleagues for believing in me.  

Dominic Smith, Lab Manager, Department of Infectious Disease 

As a Lab Manager, I have a wide range of responsibilities covering labs at South Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campuses. I look after high-risk Containment Level 3 (CL3) labs where we work with infectious diseases such as HIV, HTLV and TB; liquid nitrogen facilities and UKAS and GCLP accredited labs. I’m also responsible for day-to-day operations including risk assessments, audits, health and safety inspections, equipment maintenance and ordering as well as overseeing contractor operations such as electrical works, plumbing, and refurbishments.   

Over the university closure period, we are still on call to keep our critical research running safely. Researchers with lone-working approval will still be on campus and using the labs, so safety is always the priority. Emergencies like freezer failures, power outages, or liquid nitrogen issues would require me and my team to be on campus to resolve the issue. For example if a freezer fails, we might have to move samples to back-up freezers and if the liquid nitrogen system goes down, we may need to manually reset the system or even carry out manual fills, and because it’s high-risk, two of us have to attend. Our team also provides emergency access to restricted labs in case of infrastructure issues.

University closure information  

Find out more about our Christmas and New Year operating hours on our Property Division webpages. 

Students can find information about support over the closure period on our website.  

Don’t leave your lab or office lit up like a Christmas tree over the holiday period 

Here are some handy tips on how to cut down on unnecessary energy consumption in offices and labs over the winter break.  

Laboratories 

Did you know a single fume hood can use as much energy as 3.5 households every day? So, this Christmas break, lower the sash (energy savings upwards of 40%), tidy your hood and switch off the lights.  

Also, avoid standby mode on PCs, monitors, and lab equipment, and turn off when not in use (WARNING: make sure you do not switch off someone else’s long-term data collection or run!)  

Offices  

Before you head off, make sure you:  

• Turn off your computer, monitors and printers. 

• Unplug any adapters. 

• Switch off the lights. 

• You can also visit ICT's sustainability webpage if you have any electrical equipment which you no longer use.