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Information for Onsite Users in 2022
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a number of operational constraints that have to be applied to ESRF users and staff alike. The need for social distancing, as well as potential travel restrictions for users due to regulations adopted by the various national authorities and/or users’ institutions, means that various restrictions are in place for users coming onsite for their experiments.
The number of onsite users allowed per session is not limited. This concerns all types of experiments: Structural Biology experiments and non-Structural Biology experiments. Whether the experiment should be carried out remotely or with onsite users (or in a mixed mode) must be discussed and agreed with the Local Contact, but in all cases the maximum limit of users/staff allowed in a beamline hutch at any one time must be respected at all times.
This page contains information for users coming onsite for an experiment, and for Main Proposers who need to declare both onsite and remote users. Reduced logistics are in place on the site so please read the information below carefully.For information concerning the latest COVID-19 travel restrictions to the ESRF, please read our User news item.
The Standard User Safety training now includes content concerning COVID-19 safety rules for onsite ESRF users. All users must follow this safety training before coming onsite, even if already followed less than 1 year ago, as the COVID-19-related content is updated regularly.
Users who present symptoms must not come onsite.
Any user who starts to present symptoms while already onsite should immediately contact the Control Room - by using a red emergency telephone or dialling 10 on a normal telephone or ESRF mobile phone - and self-isolate to protect colleagues (in the Guesthouse room if non-local user, at home if local user).
The ESRF Safety Group will provide the necessary protective equipment for users who come onsite, in the same way they do for staff. All users must enter the ESRF via the Main Entrance of the Central Building, where they must wash their hands and pick up a mask (direct access to the Experimental Halls via the doors around the ring is not permitted). They must then go straight to the beamline where the experiment is taking place, and where the hygiene equipment on the beamline can be used. Apart from trips to the onsite restaurant, sandwich counter and Guesthouse, users should otherwise avoid moving around on the site.
If there are any issues with badge access, you may contact the User, CRG or Business Development Offices (during weekday working hours) or the Experimental Hall Operators directly by calling 25-25 (24/24h, 7d/7).
All users must respect the ESRF safety rules, including those concerned with COVID-19 situation, as described in the Standard User Safety training.
The Guesthouse is located onsite, a few hundred meters after going through the site entrance. Room access badges can be collected at the reception desk of the Guesthouse during opening hours, or directly from the site entrance when closed.
The Reception opening hours:
- from 7:00 to 20:00 on Monday to Friday
- from 7:00 to 12:00 on weekends, bank holidays
Outside these hours, the room badges will be left at the site entrance.
The ESRF has installed plexiglass walls in the reception area and hydro-alcoholic gel is provided.
In view of the restrictive measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the normal functioning of the Guesthouse is modified:
- Check-out time is now 10:30 each morning to allow sufficient time for room ventilation and cleaning;
- For visitors not paid for by ESRF, payment must be made by credit card (no payment in cash or by cheque);
- The TV lounge and breakfast room are closed.
Breakfast at the Onsite Restaurant:
Due to the Covid restrictions, breakfast is served at the onsite restaurant from 7:00 to 9:00 on weekdays and weekends. Only people staying at the Guesthouse can have breakfast (no externals).
Onsite eating options are reduced compared with normal operation.
Onsite restaurant: In view of the restrictive measures related to the COVID-19, the normal functioning of the onsite restaurant is modified: the distribution of consumers is organized as follows:
- ESRF users and staff should eat on the Ground floor restaurant, ONLY:
Opening hours :- during weekdays: 11h30 -13h30 (lunch) and 18h45 - 20h00 (dinner).
- during week-ends and bank holidays: 11h45 - 13h00 (lunch) and 18h45 - 20h00 (dinner).
- Reduced choice of meals on offer for lunch: a starter, a main course (one meat, one fish and one vegetarian dish available), along with vegetables, a starch food, soup, cheese and a dessert;
- Reduced choice of meals on offer for the evening meal: a starter or soup, a main course (one meat or fish and one vegetarian dish available), along with vegetables, a starch food, cheese and a dessert;
- Please respect the direction of circulation and the seating arrangements in place, and maintain social distancing while in and around the restaurant;
- Masks must be worn at all times, except once seated and eating the meal.
Sandwich counter: The sandwich counter is open from 11h00 - 13h30 on Monday to Friday, only. Masks must be worn at all times and the user must leave the premises as soon as they have purchased their food.
Vending machines: The operation of vending machines in the LOB, the CTRM and the Experimental Hall is suspended until further notice. The LOB cafeteria is open but the vending machines are not available.
Users should ensure that they stop working and go to the restaurant and/or sandwich counter when they are open. The LOB cafeteria can be used for eating, as long as the social distancing measures are respected (1 person per table).
In the case that users miss the available opening times at the restaurant and sandwich counter, there are restaurants, bakers and a supermarket on the Avenue des Martyrs (15mins walk or 1 tram stop away - stop Marie-Louise Paris CEA).
The number of external onsite users allowed per experiment is not limited. However, in addition to the onsite members of the user team, other members of the research team may join the experiment remotely and in some cases, with agreement from the local contact, experiments may take place fully remotely.
Users who will be involved in the experiment remotely must be identified using the checkbox “Remote User”.
For the users who will come onsite, fill in the A-form normally, indicating if there is a request for Guesthouse reservation and reimbursement (do not click on the “Remote User” box).
Local external users (Grenoble area) can request reimbursement in which case meal credits for using the onsite restaurant will be available on their user badge as before. The Guesthouse is reserved for non-local external users but can be used by local users at their own expense if rooms are available 5 days before the experiment.
All samples must be declared in the A-form and in ICAT for both onsite and remote experiments. Sample sheets must be added at the level of the proposal, and then declared in the A-form for the experiment session in question. Parcels must then be set up in ICAT, even if the samples are being brought to the site, so that they can be tracked before, during and after the experiment. If samples are brought to the site, they do not need to transit through the Stores but the beamline staff must update their tracking status in ICAT when they arrive at and leave the beamline, or when they are destroyed. See the instruction web page for Remote Experiments on Non-Structural Biology beamlines for details on how to do this.
partners
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility - 71, avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.