Safety First
Safety is one of the highest priorities within HSSEAS. The school takes pride in providing a safe working environment for its faculty, staff, students and visitors. It is imperative that everyone follows the policies and guidelines to ensure their own safety and the safety of others around them.
For information about safety and emergency services during campus closures:
Campus Closure Safety and Emergency Info
The campus will close most non-essential campus buildings during the upcoming Winter Holiday period of Saturday, December 23, 2023, through Tuesday, January 2, 2024. The campus will reopen on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. Selected buildings and facilities identified by the Deans and Vice Chancellors as essential for the continuation of needed services will remain open or partially open.
Building Services
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) will be significantly reduced in buildings that will be primarily unoccupied. Building services will be maintained for designated areas requiring conditioned air to protect artifacts, instruments, vivaria, and research materials. Cooling will be provided to protect electronic equipment in server rooms, critical data and voice rooms, and hub rooms. For other areas, exceptions to the planned shutdown of HVAC systems will be limited to only situations where the shutdown will have a severe adverse impact. For more information about exceptions to the shutdown, click on the Holiday Closure link: https://www.facilities.ucla.edu/news/holiday-closure. Custodial services will be reduced. HVAC building support will continue to be maintained in buildings that remain open. Please refer to the attached list for building status.
The following conditions will apply in largely unoccupied buildings:
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- Building ventilation will be turned off where heating and cooling are not required and will be reduced where occupancy is reduced.
- Building heating will be turned off (unless there is a need to maintain minimum temperatures).
- Building cooling will be turned off (unless there is a need to limit maximum temperatures).
- Hot water (to bathrooms and sinks) will not be heated in non-essential buildings, including non-patient care areas in CHS.
- No electricity will be turned off.
- All lighting will remain functional, although unoccupied areas will be turned off at wall switches.
- All buildings will be locked. Access is limited to only essential personnel who have obtained approvals from their department.
- Waste pickup and cleaning services will be reduced. Departmental space will not be cleaned. Centralized Waste Receptacles for spaces
approved for essential activities will be emptied daily on 12/27, 12/28, and 12/29/2023. - Bathrooms for spaces approved for essential activities will be regularly inspected, restocked, and cleaned daily on 12/27, 12/28, and 12/29/2023.
- Outdoor trashcans will be emptied on 12/27, 12/28, and 12/29/2023; no other grounds services will be provided.
- Weekend openings for buildings will not be provided.
Individuals occupying buildings with reduced services should dress for cool conditions and ensure they have a key to enter the building. Carry your Bruin ID card for identification purposes. Individuals should take home any personal effects such as plants, artifacts, or other items that may be adversely affected in the unconditioned rooms during this holiday period.
The Facilities Management Customer Relations (CR) will be staffed continuously throughout the closure period. Don’t hesitate to contact the Trouble Call Center (CR) at (310) 825-9236 should problems arise. Service Request link https://facilities.ucla.edu/submit-request
Energy Saving Tips
Many of you have heard from President Napolitano and Governor Brown about UC’s goal to be the first major research university to achieve carbon neutrality. Your help is needed to save university resources and help achieve this goal. All departments, building coordinators, and employees are requested to please support reducing energy costs by implementing the following power conservation measures over the holiday closure:
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- Turn off all approved personal appliances, including fans, radios, and desk lamps.
- Turn off all office equipment, including computers, monitors, printers, plotters, facsimile machines, shredders, and overhead task lights.
- Remember that the campus temperature standard is 68-76, and dress in layers.
- Turn off all equipment in computer labs.
- Turn off all unnecessary lights, including overhead lighting, lighting in unoccupied rooms, equipment, and storage areas. Reduce overhead lighting, decorative lighting, signage, and other lighting inside and out that is not necessary for security and safety.
- Maintain security and safety lighting at the lowest acceptable levels.
- Turn off all approved kitchen/lunchroom appliances, including refrigerators, microwaves, toaster ovens, and coffee pots. Ensure that refrigerators are defrosted while the staff is present to monitor for any possible leaks.
- Turn off all specialty equipment not used over the campus closure period.
- Close fume hood sashes when not in use.
- Close all windows and exterior doors.
Pre-closure Questions
Building Systems and Energy (310) 221-1794 / (310) 925-9101 Custodial (310) 206-8850 Grounds & Waste Management (310) 825-1827 Closure Emergency Contacts
Trouble Call Center (310) 825-9236 Hazmat and Fire 911 Fleet Maintenance (800) 825-2963 UCLA Police Department (310) 825-1491
For detailed information on HSSEAS building issues:
Building Security (BruinCard Access)
Boelter Hall/Math Science Building Access:
Because Boelter Hall and Math Science share access, separate policies apply to these areas. The table below summarizes the operating hours of the doors for Boelter Hall and the Math Sciences building. The floor plans below highlight the location of the doors.
Symbols | Security Measure | Mondays – Saturdays | Sundays and Holidays |
Alarm | 7am – 7pm | Closed | |
Bruin Card Reader | 7am – 11pm | Closed | |
Bruin Card Reader | 7am – 11pm | Observe SEL Hours |
All doors to Boelter Hall and the Math Sciences building will be closed on Sundays and UCLA holidays. The only exception is the two doors on the 5th floors of BH/MS that are equipped with Bruin Card Reader, which will be programmed to observe the Science and Engineering Library (SEL) hours of operation.
Outside of operating hours, users may enter these buildings through doors equipped with a Bruin Card Reader, if they have the authorization from their units to access the building after operating hours.
Floor plans:
Engineering IV, Engineering V, and Engineering VI Building Access:
All other Engineering building hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. The buildings are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and UCLA holidays. Users with access to rooms in the building have after-hours access.
Outside of operating hours, users may enter these buildings through doors equipped with a Bruin Card Reader, if they have the authorization from their units to access the building after operating hours.
Please contact your unit management team for any questions.
Safety is our Priority. Thank you for your cooperation.
For detailed policies and procedures related toEmergency Preparedness:
Bruin Alert
Emergency Response Procedure (Official Resource – UCLA Emergency Management):
BruinAlert is a personalized emergency notification system. UCLA developed BruinAlert to communicate official information during an emergency or crisis that disrupts normal operation of the UCLA campus or threatens the health or safety of members of the campus community.
By providing a current and accurate cell phone number you will receive BruinAlert text messages. You can sign up for this service by clicking on the following link.
Sign up for BruinAlert™
Phone Numbers
UCLA Engineering & UCLA Emergency Numbers
911 |
From any campus phone |
(310) 825-1491 |
UCLA Police Department 911 Public Safety Dispatch |
(800) 900-UCLA |
Emergency Information Hotline |
Emergencies requiring police, fire or medical aid should be reported by calling 911 from a campus phone. If no campus phone is available contact the UCLA Police Department 911 public safety dispatch number at (310) 825-1491; let the dispatcher know that you are on campus calling from your cell phone and that you have an emergency.
It is a good idea to have this number programmed into your cell phone.
For information regarding campus emergencies call (800) 900-UCLA.
Earthquake/Fire Safety
UCLA has an Emergency Response Plan in the event of an earthquake, but every student, faculty and staff member in the campus community must also have a “personal earthquake plan” so that we can recover quickly.
Indoors: TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY— Duck under a desk, table, between lecture hall seats or in a hallway. Stay away from doorways and windows.
Outdoors: MOVE TO AN OPEN AREA — Stay away from buildings, walls, trees or power lines.
In a Car: STAY INSIDE THE VEHICLE — Slow down and stop carefully, away from bridges and overpasses.
FIRE SAFETY
In an emergency, follow the building evacuation plan and instructions.
Avoid complacency. When advised of an alarm, suspicious condition or when conducting a routine fire drill, treat the situation with the utmost concern and immediately vacate your residence or office—your life or other lives could depend on it.
If your smoke detector goes off; if you see or smell fire or smoke:
- Remain calm and get out of the immediate area.
- Pull the fire alarm, exit via the stairs, DO NOT USE THE ELEVATOR.
- Close the door behind you as you leave and all other doors as you exit—doors are built to withstand fire for a period of time—it gives you time to escape.
- If you see smoke under the door, find another way out.
- Feel the door with the back of your hand before you open it. If it is hot, find another way out.
- Drop to the floor to avoid smoke and fumes. Crawl to safety.
- If your clothes catch on fire, STOP where you are, DROP to the ground and ROLL over and over to smother the flames.
- Call 9-1-1 from a safe location.
- If you are trapped in a burning building, stay near a window and close to the floor. If possible, signal for help.
- Meet with the UCLA Fire Department or Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) representative upon arrival and report what you saw—DO NOT LEAVE THE AREA. The information you have may save lives and valuable time.
For more information follow the link [More]
Building Security
HSSEAS buildings have electronic access to ensure the building security. Building access for research labs is limited to those who have followed proper procedures for lab access.
Please carry your Bruin Card with you when using the building after hours in case you are asked to show identification to UCPD. Do not confront a suspicious person – call UCPD at 911 from any campus phone or (310) 825-1491 from an off-campus line.
If you feel threatened or at risk for your personal safety while on campus, especially after hours, contact the UCLA Evening Escort Service. This service is provided by the Community Service Officers Program (CSO).
For more information regarding CSO please follow this link [More]
CSO escorts are available free of charge to walk with students, faculty, staff or visitors 365 days a year from dusk until 1 a.m. between campus buildings, local living areas or Westwood Village within the approximate boundaries of Sunset Boulevard to the north, Hilgard to the east, Wilshire to the South, and Veteran to the west. Here’s how it works:
15 minutes before you need to leave, call (310) 794-WALK.
You will be connected to a police dispatcher who will ask you:
- Where you are
- Where you need to go
- Your name and call-back number
After you hang up, the dispatcher will radio a roaming CSO to come to your location and pick you up. Once you start to walk, the CSO will inform dispatch that the escort has begun. When you reach your destination, the CSO will likewise inform dispatch that you have reached your destination safely.
For more information please follow this link [More]
Emergency Response Plan
The HSSEAS Emergency Response Plan is an extension of the campus wide effort to ensure safety and successful educational endeavors that directly relate to our school’s unique environment.
Planning today greatly impacts how quickly the school and each department can get back to business or critical research after an earthquake, fire or flood, loss of critical infrastructure, a terrorist attack, civil unrest or other calamity.
Developed in consultation with UCLA Emergency Management, the HSSEAS school wide Emergency Response Plan (the link shown below) is to be tested, exercised, updated and revised annually by the school with feedback from all members in the school.
New hires must receive orientation on emergency preparedness procedures and practices by the department. The school will provide annual emergency preparedness orientation in the fall for all new hires and Graduate Student Researchers.
The HSSEAS Emergency Response Plan was last updated: April 2024
HSSEAS Emergency Response Plan
The HSSEAS Emergency Team Roster was last updated: April 2024
Emergency Response Supplies
Each department and each floor of the HSSEAS building has emergency evacuation backpacks and other supplies that are designated for emergency usage. Each is mounted on easy access areas with emergency signs. They are designed to be accessible to general building occupants during regular hours and accessible to the school emergency coordinators and floor wardens at all times.
Please contact your Emergency Coordinator for location and details [Emergency Team Roster].
All supplies are updated annually by the Emergency Coordinator.
Additional Emergency/Safety Info
For detailed policies and procedures related to Research Lab Safety:
UCLA Lab Safety Manual
The lab safety manual provides guidelines, requirements and recommendations for laboratory safety as outlined in the California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 5191.
The current UCLA campus-wide lab safety manual can be found on the EH&S website.
You may also review UCLA Campus Policy #905 on laboratory safety.