Personal Safety at Uppsala university

People who work in larger organizations may encounter conflicting situations at work. In order to (as far as possible) avoid for such situations to happen, preventive measures for increased personal safety are important.

What does personal safety mean?

Personal safety is about ensuring the security and safety for a person, or several. The aim is that people can feel secure in everyday life or in a specific situation/incident. People who are active in, for example, a larger organisation such as a Swedish authority, may encounter risky situations or may be in need of personal security mesures for preventive purposes.

What applies to the work with personal safety at Uppsala University?

The aim with the personal safety area is to prevent incidents and focus on creating a safe and secure environment. It should be a natural part of the businesses progress and be taken into account when changes is forseen. The work with the staffs safety is included in the statutory systematic work environment. (See UFV Guideline 2018/1968.)

What is a personal safety incident?

All types of incidents that a person can be exposed to - everything from accidents to criminal acts that result in physical, mental and / or financial harm to the person.

If you have been involved in, or if there was a risk of, an incident (accident or crime), you must report this to the head of your department/equivalent or, as a student, student manager.

Report an incident

If you are facing a situation of uncertainty about what you should or can do, or if you want help investigating the content of an incident where you see the need for security or safety enhancing measures, contact the Security and Safety department, e-mail sakerhet@uu.se, for advice.

How is the level of good personal safety achieved?
Ensuring a good level of personal safety is about considering several or all security areas, with solutions that take into account different measures. Examples of measures are risk analysis, external assessment and education.

It is important for all types of efforts to achieve a good level of safety and security is to act preventively and continuously take measures that appear in, for example, recurring risk analyzes. In this way, the risk of incidents is minimized and the possibility of ensuring that immediate and correct action is taken in the event of an incident increases.

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Prevent before anything happens

By being active in a workplace, like the university, staff or students should not have to be faced with situations of being stolen on their property or with hatred, threats or violence. Unfortunately, the reality looks different. It is difficult to prevent all situations, but with a joint and systematic preventive work it is possible to prevent many situations and also reduce the risk of vulnerability.

Everyone can contribute to the security and safety at the University by keeping track of themselves, their belongings and their surroundings.

Assist to prevent the risks of unauthorized persons visiting, by:

Never let persons you do not know in to the university premises when you pass through locked doors
Never let anyone else use your personal codes

When you receive visitors

Where available, register your visitors in advance in the booking system
Where available, equip your visitors with a visitors tag qualifying the visitor to the premises along with your presense
You are responsible during the time of the visit
You receive and you leave your visits at the entrance

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Exposed to crime or if you are in an otherwise difficult situation

Victim of crime? Alarm!

For (all) criminal offenses in progress: Call the police - 112 (SOS Alarm)
Detected crime that has just happened and injury or damage has occurred: Call the police - 112 (SOS Alarm)
If you have been subjected to a crime, notify the principal / student manager.

Are you in a difficult situation
If you find yourself in a difficult situation or see something in your area that diverges, call the university's emergency number, 018-471 2500, and request assistance from Campus Guards.

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Unauthorized persons at the university

If you suspect that someone is making an unauthorized visit on the university premises

Notify a colleague / student friend on the situation.
Ask the person kindly "Can I help?" and after that ask the person to show their campus card.
If the person has no legitimate cause, ask the person to leave (by informing where the nearest exit is).
If the person refuses to leave, call the university's emergency number, 018-471 2500, and request assistance from the Campus Guards.

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In case of burglary, theft or intentional damage to property

In case of ongoing crime (emergency situation), call 112
Call the police - 112 (SOS Alarm) - if you are subjected to a crime or are seeing an ongoing crime, such as suspected theft, burglary or physical assault.
Upon discovery of
- Burglary or damage, call the university's emergency number 018-471 2500.
- Theft or loss of property, contact the police (read more about reporting crime to the police).
  Report crime to the police as soon as you can. An early notification makes it easier to find technical evidence and hear witnesses.
Inform the Intendent on campus.
Inform the Security and Safety department, e-mail sakerhet@uu.se

Assist in preventing thefts by:

Property or information attractive to thieves should always be secured/looked (in) when leaving the office / location
Activate the screen lock on your computer when you leave it
Do not store login information or login cards with your computer / phone
Report loss of keys or authorization (Campus) cards to the campus commissariat
Spare keys must be stored in an approved locked storage cabinet
If possible, lock doors to office rooms, study rooms etc.

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Threat and violence

All incidents involving elements of threat or violence must always be taken seriously since the person (s) exposed to the incident may be seriously affected by the experience. Incidents of threats and violations on the Internet, for example, via e-mail and social media, are also to be taken seriously. When such incidents appears in the working environment, the experience can lead to ill health for the person (s) involved.

Basics, for the outcome of a situation

Fundamentals when it comes to threat and violence are often our own behavior, response and communication. By trying to stay calm, communicate with the use of questions and by seeing, listening and responding well to the response, many difficult situations can be dampened and even interrupted. While this is being applied, the following recommendations also apply.

Recommendations in the event of threat or violence

Try to get away from the situation.
If it is not possible, use (only) the force needed to avoid continued violence.
Alarm!
Receive help when it arrives.
When you are out of danger, notify your supervisor (head of department or equivalent) (and relatives).
Report all incidents of illegal threats and violence to the police.
Although anyone can and may make a report to the police, the victim has the opportunity to decide his or her participation by submitting information about the incident or refraining from it. Therefore, the recommendation is that the victim participate when the report is being made. It is also recommended that the victim's supervisor is involved in the process in order to be able to give support and consideration to the victim.
When someone has been assulted/exposed by threats or violence in the work environment, care from the nearest working group is important for the victim's recovery. Many times the group's physical presence helps the victim to a good level of care and recovery.
Crisis support measures need to be started as soon as possible. Indirectly affected may also be in need of crisis support.

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Serious incident (accident or violence)

In the event of severe threats of violence or violence directed at Uppsala University with several (physical) persons affected (eg bomb threats / serious illegal threats), the instructions provided by the Police force must always be followed.

All incidents with elements of violence must always be taken seriously, as those who are affected can suffer very badly from the experience. This also applies to incidents where the person planning / making the attack did not have a serious intention with his act. However, such an event still constitutes a violent event for those affected.

By working systematically and with the aim for a safety climate where situations are detected at an early stage, the conditions for preventing serious incidents increase.

Recommendations to reduce the risk of serious incidents

Continuous work with the physical protection to strenghten the personal safety and enhance the difficulty for unauthorized persons to damage the university's property.
High degree of complience of guidelines (for example regarding the University's premises and use of access cards) to make it difficult for unauthorized persons to stay in confined spaces.
Through a personal dialogue with and between everyone who works at the university, the possibility to detect risk signals increases.
Security procedures that state that the risk of serious incidents is reported to a supervisor (head of department or equivalent) and to the Security and Safety Division, enables the organization at different levels to act on what may pose a threat.

E-learning

Act

Follow evacuation instructions for fire or the Police force guidance in the event of an attack (e-larning above)
Search for and find a safe place such as a gathering place in the event of a fire or in the event of an attack, a safe place for you.
On the way to a safe place, rescue others / alert your surroundings, if you can.

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Report crime to the police

Fundamental principle is to always report crime to the police

Being exposed to or witnessing a crime at their place of work is a personal safety incident and should be reported to the nearest principal / student manager.

In Sweden, anyone can report a crime to the police. However, the recommendation is that the person who has been subjected to a crime also reports the crime as the victim often best kan explain the criminal act.

Report to the police via telephone, the web or go to the police station

Report a crime to the police as soon as you can. An early notification makes it easier to find technical evidence and hear witnesses.

Phone - call 114 14 to make a report to the police.
Uppsala Police station - visiting address: Svartbäcksgatan 49, Uppsala
Visby Police Station - visiting address: Norra Hansegatan 2 B, Visby

Support and advice before / about the police report

Contact the Security Department, e-mail sakerhet@uu.se for advice and support.

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Insurances

Employee

Read more about what insurance cover that apply whether you are employed at Uppsala University or work at the university without being employed.

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Student

Student insurance - Information about the insurance that apply for students
Student UT - Applies to all students studying or practicing abroad within the framework of an exchange
Student IN - Applies to all entering exchange students registered for courses at Uppsala University

More information

More information about student insurance and insurance cover for entry and exit exchange students can be found at:

Kammarkollegiets website
Försäkringskassan (scroll to the bottom for english translation)
CSN (Centrala studiestödsnämnden)

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Content owner: Jenny Ferngren 18 maj 2020

Personal Safety at Uppsala university

Personal safety and security