At CERN you are going to work in an environment that presents a wide variety of dangers, many of them not immediately obvious. It is therefore of the utmost importance that you have at least some notions about how to work safely, both for your own sake and for the sake of your colleagues and, not to be forgotten, the equipment.

Responsibility for safety at CERN falls on the shoulders of everybody. It is not the task of some safety authority, supervising the rest of us! You are responsible for your safety at CERN !

If you work in an experiment collaboration at CERN you will have signed a contract of some kind. This implies that you work under the authority of the Director General of CERN and that you have to conform to the CERN rules of safety, independently of whatever rules are in force at your home institute.

You are expected to inform yourself about the safety rules at CERN. For example, by reading the Safety Guide for Experiments as well as other safety documentation. You are also encouraged to contact people involved in safety, particularly your GLIMOS and the TSO of your place of work.

Expert help and advice in safety matters is also provided by the Safety Commission. 

What does all this mean for your practical, everyday work?

Safe working conditions are not something that is artificially added to the normal, everyday working situation. On the contrary, safety is and must be an integral part of any activity.

Always keep in mind that the only way to success for your experiment and your own work is through safe working methods.

Cutting corners where safety is concerned may be utterly counter-productive!

Experimentation might not always fit into industrial safety standards, but this fact never justifies carelessness.

 

More about responsibilities in matter of safety (The CERN Safety Policy and Safety Rules)