NE-CAT is fully committed to comply with the “Work Alone” policy of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) which states the following:

  “When the activities involve significant hazards anywhere inside the laboratory, you are not permitted to work alone and you must remain in sight and sound of a second person who understands the work being performed and knows all pertinent emergency procedures.  However, working alone conducting non-hazardous activities is permitted provided someone from the host group is aware that you will be doing so”. 

Researchers using NE-CAT facilities are not authorized to conduct hazardous work as defined by the APS and the Laboratory,.  i.e., the users are not permitted to be engaged in any activity which involves substantial hazards such as handling toxic gases, liquids or solids, high power electrical systems, etc. as listed in the ANL ES&H Manual.  NE-CAT always recommends that users should visit the facility in groups, at least a minimum of two persons.   However, if single researchers must work alone, the following procedures shall be followed:

1. The NE-CAT support staff member should inform the user clearly on what to do in the event of an emergency and inform the user where the NE-CAT call list and emergency procedures are posted.
2. During day-shift, the NE-CAT support staff shall check on the user’s status at least every hour. During evening shifts, the user and NE-CAT support staff member shall arrange at predetermined times to contact each other by phone.
3. During night shifts, the NE-CAT support staff shall inform the floor coordinators about the presence of a single user at the NE-CAT beamline.  The NE-CAT staff member shall then make arrangements for the off-shift floor coordinator and the user to communicate by phone at pre-determined times to ensure that the user is safe.
4. The user shall notify the NE-CAT support staff assigned responsibility for that user that he/she intends to work alone and must receive prior approval to do so.