Key elements of the Health & Safety Policy (Fire, First Aid, Smoking and Risk Assessment) are communicated to students via the annual Health & Safety Student Induction presentation. This is a presentation developed by the Health & Safety Adviser and delivered to all students at the start of the academic year.

The Health & Safety Student Guide includes a copy of the Health & Safety Policy Statement plus other supporting information. This is printed and issued to all new students.

In addition to this, specific Health & Safety topics are covered in the Induction Module on the online accommodation system when you have accepted your Room Offer.

In accordance with the University’s Health & Safety Policy, staff and students have an individual and collective responsibility to ensure that all possible risks are reduced.

This includes:

• Familiarising yourself with the Fire Procedure poster located in the kitchen and on the back of your bedroom door
• Keeping fire exits clear
• Not running cables from one room to another
• Not putting anything on or near the electric heaters (using the heaters to dry items is extremely dangerous)
• Not using naked flames in the accommodation
• Only smoking in designated areas.

You are not allowed to store any dangerous or flammable items, such as white spirit or fuel, in the accommodation. If you are required to have access to or use dangerous or flammable items as part of your course, arrangements should be made with course staff for appropriate storage in the academic areas.

Our Campus Life Hubs are your first go-to for anything related to your student experience at UCA.

We offer a range of services and advice related to your academic studies and general support advice and can support you to access more specialist support when needed.

Contact the Campus Life team

At UCA, we want everyone in our community to feel respected, included and supported. 

That’s why we have Report+Support, an online platform for students, staff and visitors to report discrimination, misconduct, harassment, or assault against themselves or others. You can tell us what happened, or submit an anonymous or attributed report, and access a range of support services and resources.

We’ll deal with all reports - no matter how small - sensitively, honestly, and professionally. 

Visit UCA’s Report + Support site

The University employs staff who are responsible for your safety, security and conduct out of normal working hours.

Security Officers are responsible for the safety and security of all buildings and for the pastoral care and conduct of student residents in our accommodation. There are also generally two Student Wardens on duty who act as back up to the Security Officers when needed (Epsom & Farnham only). The Wardens are also on duty each night, weekends, public holidays and University holidays.

The Security Officers and Wardens have the full support of the University and act with the authority of the Vice-Chancellor. They will respect you – please respect them. If they instruct or request you to do something (or not to do something), please do as they ask.

They are responsible to the University for ensuring that all regulations are complied with and have a duty to report all incidents. This may result in action being taken in accordance with the University’s Rules for Student Conduct and/or the Terms & Conditions of Residence.

We take pride in providing a safe and welcoming environment at all of our accommodation sites. CCTV is installed in some areas of the accommodation for your security and safety. This is carefully managed by Estates and Facilities to ensure residents’ privacy.

All accommodation has an out of hours' security provision available and in cases of emergencies, reporting a crime, suspicious behaviours, bomb threats, or first aid issues they should be contacted immediately with the appropriate emergency service.

In general, UCA is in areas with low crime rates and the chances of you becoming a victim of crime are low. However, to keep safe please:

• Don’t give your keys to anyone
• Don’t allow strangers into your accommodation
• Don’t allow anyone access until you have checked that the person is visiting someone who is actually in the flat
• Ensure that the entrance doors are securely shut at all times
• Keep your bedroom door locked at all times
• Make certain your mobile phone/tablet is kept secure at all times.

Everyone has the right to live free of unwanted attention, harassment, and abuse. You have this right, whoever you are, whatever your race, background, religion, or sexuality, however you dress or act. No-one has the right to interfere with this, whether they are strangers, colleagues, friends, acquaintances, or family.

Crimes by strangers in public places are still rare and account for a very small part of recorded crime. However, you can make yourself even less likely to be the victim of crime by taking a few sensible precautions. Many are common sense and may be things you already do. Making yourself safer doesn’t mean changing your entire lifestyle, personality, or wardrobe, and it doesn’t mean never going out at all.

Personal safety is not just a women’s issue. Men and women experience crime differently and it is important to remember this so that you can protect yourself as well as possible. You should think about how you would act in different situations before you are in them. Think about whether you would stay and defend yourself (using reasonable force), risking further injury, or whether you would give an attacker what they want, to avoid injury. There is nothing wrong with doing either, but you should think about the options.

• Make sure you know where you are going and how to get there. If you are catching a bus or train, find out the times to avoid waiting for long periods at bus stops or stations
• You will be safest in bright, well-lit and busy areas. If possible, you should try and keep to the main routes rather than taking a short-cut. Stay alert and keep your mind on your surroundings
• Try to look and act confident - look like you know where you are going and walk tall
• You might like to spread your valuables around your body. For example, keep your phone in your bag, your flat keys in your pocket and your money in your jacket
• If someone tries to take something from you, it may just be better to let them take it rather than to get into a confrontation and risk injury
• You can use reasonable force in self-defence. You are allowed to protect yourself with something you are carrying anyway (for example, keys or a can of deodorant), but you may not carry a weapon
• If you decide to defend yourself, be aware that your attacker might be stronger than you or may take what you are using in self-defence and use it against you. It is often better just to shout loudly and run away!
• Shout ‘fire’ rather than ‘help’ – it can get more results
• If you use a wheelchair, keep your things beside you rather than at the back of the chair
• Try not to be conspicuous about the valuables you are carrying
• Talking on your mobile phone, carrying a laptop, or showing your friend your new gold ring all shows thieves that you are worth stealing from
• If a situation makes you feel uneasy you should try to get away at once. If you are on a bus or train then move to a different seat or carriage. You can also alert the driver, guard or station staff
• Should you need urgent help from the Police, Ambulance Service or Fire Brigade dial 999
• If you are calling for assistance but cannot talk then press 555 and the emergency services will track your call
• Please dial 111 if you need non-emergency medical assistance or 101 for non-emergency assistance from the Police
• For more information: phone the Suzy Lamplugh Trust information line on 020 7091 0014 or visit the Suzy Lamplugh Trust website.

Help to keep yourselves and others healthy by observing the guidelines concerning correct storage of food in the fridge to prevent cross contamination. Do not store raw meat above cooked food. Good housekeeping should help to prevent vermin or other pests from inhabiting your property. To discourage pests ensure that food particles are cleared from all surfaces – worktops, floors etc. Ants are attracted to anything sweet so please do clear up after you. Do not leave food lying around.

If you see any vermin or other pests either inside or outside your accommodation, please report this immediately. We will call the experts to deal with this. However, they will only treat the problem if the area is clean and tidy.

The accommodation has been fitted with window restrictors for your safety and security. These restrictors allow fresh air to circulate in each room. Please do not tamper with the restrictors in any way. If the window restrictor is tampered with, we will charge you for the repair or replacement of the restrictor and you may be subject to disciplinary procedures.

Please take time to familiarise yourself with the fire evacuation plan on the back of your bedroom door illustrating your nearest exit route.

Walk the escape route so that you are more prepared in the event of an evacuation is in the dark or the area is filled with smoke.

Keep escape routes and fire exits clear at all times of anything that may become a hazard in an emergency situation – bikes, boxes, rubbish, cables etc.

• Operate the nearest fire alarm call point immediately
• Only attack a fire if you’re trained to do so and in cases where the fire is small and containable. Never put yourself or others at risk
• Alert others by shouting FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!

• Leave by the nearest escape route. Close all doors and windows as you leave and ensure you turn off equipment like cookers (hobs, grills and ovens)
• DO NOT stop to collect any personal belongings
• Proceed to the Fire Assembly Point. Obey instructions from Fire Wardens or staff who are coordinating the evacuation
• Report any missing persons to the nearest fire warden or to the emergency services
• DO NOT re-enter the building until instructed to do so by the person in charge or the emergency services.

There are several essential pieces of fire safety equipment in your accommodation. All fire safety equipment is inspected during the summer and regular checks are carried out during the year.

Fire extinguisher (usually located by the front door and/or kitchen): This must not be removed from its bracket unless it needs to be used to fight a fire. Only use it to fight a fire if you’ve had specific training.

Fire call point (there are several in each accommodation unit): They should be used to alert others in the event of a fire.

Fire blanket (located in the kitchen – Canterbury & Epsom only): This can be used if there is a fire in the kitchen, particularly on the cooker.

Fire doors: These are fitted to help prevent the spread of a fire. The kitchen and bedroom doors are fire doors and must always be kept closed. Don’t, under any circumstances, prop them open, or hook anything such as additional coat hooks over them as this impacts the integrity of the door.

Smoke detectors: These are fitted to the ceilings in all bedrooms and hallways and will pick up ionised smoke from the following:

• Cigarettes
• Candles
• Naked flames
• E-cigarettes/vapes
• Incense or joss sticks
• Cooking (toaster, kettle etc)
• Deodorant
• Steam from your en-suite shower if the door is not closed
• Steam from ironing
• Anything that produces smoke/steam

Heat detectors: These are fitted to the ceilings in the kitchen. They will only activate if there is a substantial amount of heat. Don’t use the equipment to fight a fire unless you’ve had specific training.

Canterbury: If the fire alarm is sounded all flats will be affected. All residents in Ian Dury House must vacate when the fire alarm is activated and proceed to the nearest fire assembly point. This is in the main car park.

Epsom: If there is a full fire alarm in halls the activation will affect each accommodation unit separately. All students in the affected Block must vacate when the fire alarm is activated and proceed to the nearest fire assembly point.

Farnham: The fire panel in the Porters Lodge will activate if a fire alarm is sounded anywhere in the residences. A member of staff will investigate the cause of the activation and take any necessary action. The fire alarm system is extremely sophisticated and will alert the duty staff as to the exact location of the alarm.

• Student Village: If there is a full fire alarm in the Student Village the activation will affect three houses only – the source of the activation and the house on either side
• Castle Field: Everyone in the areas where the alarm is sounding must vacate and proceed to the fire assembly point: 70-96 Castle Field (even numbers only) - Car Park A (the one to the rear of your house), 70-96 Castle Field (odd numbers only) - the top of the grassed area to the rear of your house
• Friars Field: Everyone in the areas where the alarm is sounding must vacate and proceed to the fire assembly point: The top of the grassed area behind the even side of Friars Field
• University Walk: Fire alarms will sound in each block (Austen, Watts, Swift, Cobbett, Godfrey). When the fire alarm sounds, everyone in the area must vacate and proceed to the fire assembly point.

Fire alarm testing takes place once a week and fire evacuation practices take place three times a year (once a term).

The University operates a no smoking policy in all buildings including accommodation. This includes the use of E-Cigarettes & Vapes.

All furniture supplied by the University complies with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988, as amended in 1989 and 1993. These Regulations set out stringent fire safety tests, which apply to all new and second-hand upholstered furniture.

The curtains and blinds we provide are fire retardant and the mattresses are compliant with British Standards (BS) 7177 ignition test 5.

To reduce the risk of fire you are not permitted to bring the following items into our accommodation:

• Chairs
• Pouffes
• Scatter cushions and rugs
• All inflatable items (inflatable chairs etc give off particularly noxious fumes if they catch fire and are therefore prohibited in the accommodation)
• Humidifiers
• Settees
• Padded stools
• Beds and divans (includes bases and headboards)
• Sofa beds
• Curtains (includes net curtains/voiles/materials)