Access

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  • Status: Applicants for all-hours use privilege must be regular affiliates or employees of NYSBC. There must be an in-place Affiliation Endorsement, currently valid, with all hours authorization.
  • C-14 Certification: Applicants shall hold a New York Fire Department Permit for Supervision of a Chemical Laboratory certificate (type C-14) in their home institution (http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/pdf/cof_study_material/new_c_14_st_mat.pdf )
  • Qualification: All-hours access is granted on a per-instrument basis. Users must be approved by at least 2 SEMC staff members on 2 separate occasions.
  • Need: The applicant should have a reasonable need for significant all-hours access to the resources of the Center. The privilege of all-hours access is solely for the scientific use of the NYSBC resources.
  • Those with disabilities: Because of the limited elevator and other resources, it is not currently planned to permit any all-hours user who requires wheelchair access or crutches, or a companion animal for safety purposes. The emergency and disaster planning of NYSBC do not currently include provision for all-hours handling of those needing assistance.

Because of the large increase in SEMC users, permanent 24-hour access is generally no longer recorded on the NYSBC ID cards of external users. SEMC users approved for 24-hour access will be given a signed 24-hour access sheet which lists the dates allowed for all-hours access. Users may request all-hours access several days in advance of anticipated need. Same-day requests are also granted provided they are given early enough. Upon access, the user keeps one copy of the all-hours access sheet, with the other given to the guard. Guards should have a list of all users granted temporary all-hours access. The guard will control access to secure areas.

  1. The overriding concern for all-hours users is that they and their colleagues be safe during their time at the Center.
  2. To this end, there must always be two or more people present in the building for an all-hours user to be present. Since there will normally be a guard present, this will be readily satisfied, but in the absence of a guard (by failure of the service provider), a single all-hours user is NOT PERMITTED. If the guard leaves the premises unattended, any remaining all-hours users should contact the NYSBC on-call person immediately. If there is only one all-hours user present, then he/she should remain at the guard desk until the NYSBC staff person arrives, and must NOT operate in the rest of the building.
  3. The guard is instructed to list that he has observed all occupants at 0000, 0300, 0600, 0900, 1200, 1500, 1800, and 2100 h outside working hours.
  4. SEMC users needing a rest break may set up a cot in the SEMC conference room. Clean bedding is provided. Users should deposit used bedding in the laundry container located in the lab.
  5. All-hours users cannot, for safety reasons, do any of the following
    1. Dispense liquid nitrogen from the large (160L or 240L) dewars. All hours users should dispense nitrogen needed during the evening during work hours when EMG staff is present.
    2. Transfer large liquid nitrogen tanks (above 100 L). Use of liquid ethane also requires notification of the guard as to the dangers of your experiment; you will need to establish a check-in time with the guard for completion of your experiment.
    3. move any gas cylinder into or within a secure area
    4. operate any circuit breaker other than as instructed specifically below
  6. access the support machine room areas, electrical switch gear, or telephone rooms other than as instructed specifically below
  7. No person other than another all-hours user is permitted on the premises, except during operating hours when NYSBC staff are present. Specifically,
    1. Visitors are not permitted. Unless a visitor also has all-hours permission, they are not permitted to enter. Family members, other affiliates without all-hours access, food delivery services, and supervisors without all-hours access are not permitted to enter.
    2. Violations of this rule will be regarded as extremely serious and will result in the withdrawal of the all- hours privilege.
  8. In order to preserve reasonable expectation of alertness and ability to perform the required safety operations, no all-hours user will be permitted to be in the building for more than 36 hours at a stretch. Specific exceptions, when multiple users are present or for travelers from outside NYC, require NYSBC executive approval.

  1. NYSBC operates a surveillance system for the protection of the building’s occupants and property. No all- hours user will block any camera or detector.
  2. No all-hours user will open any door other than the main entrance door to enter or exit at any time, except in the case of fire.
  3. All all-hours users will register with the guard at entry and exit. Users will present their temporary 24-hour access sheet to the guard for access. If the guard denies permission, call the person who you believed authorized your All Hours access.
  4. All all-hours users will carry an NYSBC ID card and a specified photo ID card from their home institution, and will present it to the guard if requested.
  5. An all-hours user should not hesitate to summon the police if he/she have concerns about unauthorized people in or around the building.

  1. NYSBC contacts. The guard will have a list at the front desk of contact information for NYSBC on-call personnel. These phone numbers are for EMERGENCY use when there is a substantial risk of physical damage, and not for debugging experiments.
  2. Police and Fire contacts. The guard will provide security coordination. In cases of guard incapacity or absence, dial 911.
  3. Ambulance, Hospital. For anyone who can walk, it is probably most likely to be useful to take them by car or cab to a local emergency room. The nearest are at St. Lukes, Amsterdam & 113th St., and Presbyterian at 168th St & Broadway. Otherwise dial 911 for an ambulance.
  4. FOR AN EMERGENCY SITUATION INVOLVING PERSONAL SAFETY OR FIRE, CALL 9-911 FIRST.

  1. Purpose. The resources of NYSBC need to be available around the clock to qualified users. However, the operations and buildings are complex, so specific requirements must be met in order for the privilege of all- hours use to be extended. These rules are designed to be applicable to all affiliates. Staff should adhere to them, although there may be additional requirements.
  2. Changes. The rules and procedures described here are continuously evolving with the startup and growth of NYSBC, and input from the Board and the operating committees.
  3. No entitlement. These rules and procedures do not provide any entitlement to all-hours access, and all hours access privileges may be suspended for emergency or operational reasons at any time.
  4. Suspension. In general, all hours use will not be available under the following conditions. The guard will be directed to turn all hours users away during these times.
    1. there is no electrical power at NYSBC. In the event of any outages in Manhattan, call NYSBC in advance to check.
    2. the National Weather Service issues Hurricane or Winter Storm Warnings, because of the additional potential difficulties of providing emergency services, and of transport.