Emergency Planning
UCL’s Major Incident Plan, first drawn up in 2003 by the Major Incident Team and refined since then, can be found at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/staff/resources/#m (UCL userid and password required).
Guidance for Heads of Departments in drawing up their own accompanying Major Incident Plan can also be found at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/staff/resources/#m. In summary, the key issues for Departments to address are:
- Appointment by the Head of Department of the Departmental Major Incident Team
- Up-to-date contact details of each member of that Team (and their deputies)
- Identification of the Department’s mission critical activities, special facilities, special equipment
- Action to be taken to support Departmental mission-critical activities if the Department’s premises are not available
- Action to be taken to support Departmental mission-critical activities if staff are prevented from attending work
- Closure of UCL.
As indicated in the Guidance for Departments, the UCL Major Incident Team will be working with Departmental Teams in the event of a major incident affecting a Department or Departments and will be communicating by telephone, email and/or the UCL website. Depending on the circumstances, the Team will be based in Room G20 at 1-19 Torrington Place.
The UCL Team will not be in a position to provide alternative specialist facilities or equipment, and Departments are advised to start thinking about alternative provision of essential special facilities or equipment either within UCL or outside UCL in the event of a major incident affecting their Department i.e. for facilities or items of equipment for which there would be a serious problem for the Department if they were not available.
The UCL Major Incident Team is aware from previous incidents of the importance of good communications and this website will be the main source of updated information on major incident planning, in addition to email communications to Heads of Departments, Departmental Administrators and Departmental Safety Officers and to all staff and students. Managers are however reminded that they have a responsibility to pass on such communications to staff who do not have direct email access.
Swine Flu
The UCL Major Incident Team has now provided detailed advice about Swine Flu and is making all necessary preparations to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on UCL, and to ensure that all of our staff and students and their families are kept fully informed on the situation as it evolves. The advice, which can be found at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/swineflu/, will be updated as necessary.
Rex Knight
Vice-Provost (Operations) and Convenor of UCL’s Major Incident Team
Paul Stirk, Head of Safety and UCL's Major Incident Co-ordinator
Revised October 2009
