Contact Us

By telephone
During office hours
(Monday-Friday 08:30-17:00)
+44 (0)1234 400 400

Outside office hours
(Campus Watch)
+44 (0)1582 74 39 89

By email
admission@beds.ac.uk (admissions)
international@beds.ac.uk (international)
sid@beds.ac.uk (student support)
help@beds.ac.uk (registration)

By post
University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU

How to apply for a research degree

To apply for a research degree, please make sure you fulfill the entry requirements and then complete the online research degree application form and upload your supporting documents.

You should have a good honours degree (2:1 or above) or masters degree or equivalent in the relevant subject area.

International applicants should be aware of our research degree English language requirements

Contractors & Visitors

Information for contractors and visitors

The laboratories at 250 Butterfield contain a variety of chemical, biological and physical hazards such as biohazardous materials (including blood – that may cause infection), chemicals (including materials that can cause cancers) and liquefied gases – that can cause both severe freezing injuries and asphyxiation. The University has a legal obligation to ensure that no employee, contractor or other person has access to the laboratory areas unless they have received adequate health and safety instruction.

Access

Contractors and sub-contractors working on behalf of the Facilities and Estates Department.  A University of Bedfordshire Permit to Work from the Facilities and Estates Department is not sufficient in itself to allow unaccompanied access to the laboratories.  A written safe system of work must be in place and agreed by the Institute Director, the Facilities and Estates Department, contractors and sub-contractors before any such work is undertaken.

Visitors, contractors and sub-contractors working on behalf of LIRANS.  Visitors, contractors and sub-contractors must not enter the laboratory area unless they are accompanied by a member of laboratory staff and/or they have permission in writing from a member of laboratory staff.

Exits

  • Normal exit from the building is via the front door. To open this door: turn the thumbwheel clockwise and push the door open (it is very heavy).
  • Normal exit from the secure laboratory area (downstairs) or the secure office area (upstairs) is by pressing the ‘Press to exit’ button at the security and pushing the door open.
  • Emergency door release panels (green boxes) are provided adjacent to the laboratory and upstairs emergency doors. In an emergency, the panels in these boxes can be pushed to ensure that the door will open to enable people to exit from the secure areas.
  • Emergency exits are provided on the ground floor at the far end of the laboratory area and on the first floor at the far end of the office area.  These exits open directly to the outside by pushing the paddle handles.

Normal operational procedures

It is a legal requirement of the Health and Safety at Work Act that laboratory staff work in a manner that will not endanger themselves or others. Similarly, there is a legal onus on contractors and other visitors to ensure that they work in a safe manner and do not endanger others. To this end, all contractors and other visitors, must comply with the following procedures:

  • normal working hours are 09.00-17.00; outside of these hours, there must not be any unaccompanied work in laboratory areas unless specific permission is given in writing
  • all contractors and other visitors must report to a member of laboratory staff before entering the laboratory area and again before they leave the building
  • all health, safety and security signs must be heeded and written instructions adhered to
  • verbal instructions (from laboratory or other University staff) relating to health, safety or security must be adhered to
  • food and drink must not be consumed in any laboratory area
  • chewing gum is not allowed in any laboratory area
  • application of make up, lip salve or similar products is not allowed in any laboratory area
  • fire doors must not be wedged open
  • contractors, sub-contractors and other visitors must not touch laboratory equipment or materials unless they are competent to do so and it is part of a programme of work agreed with laboratory staff
  • after working in the laboratories, hands must be washed before leaving the laboratory area

Fire emergency

In the event of a fire, the emergency signal will be sounded (a continuous high-pitched tone). If this sound persists for more than a few seconds then all work must be stopped immediately and the building evacuated by means of the nearest fire exit (front door or side doors to spiral staircase on either ground or first floor).

During normal ‘office’ hours. All persons must gather at the assembly point (triangular paved area in the middle of the car park opposite the front door) to ensure that they are properly accounted for and to receive further instructions from the Controlling Officer or other member of staff. In no circumstance must the building be re-entered until permission to do so has been received from the Controlling Officer.

Outside normal ‘office’ hours. Personnel should summon the fire brigade; wait in a place of safety for arrival of the fire brigade; and render all necessary assistance to the fire officer in command.

Oxygen deficiency alarm

There is a particular risk of asphyxiation in the cryobiology laboratory (far right-hand side when entering the main laboratory from the lobby). The laboratory is equipped with an oxygen deficiency monitor with audible and visual alarms – both inside and outside the room.

When the monitor is in an alarm condition:

During normal ‘office’ hours. Do not enter the cryobiology laboratory. Immediately report the alarm condition to a member of laboratory staff.

Outside normal ‘office’ hours. Do not enter the cryobiology area.

  • In the case that you know or suspect there is an unconscious person in the cryobiology laboratory then quickly increase ventilation in the main laboratory by opening the emergency exit; open the cryobiology laboratory door – but do not enter; summon the fire brigade (priority) and ambulance by dialling 999 (or 9999 from a University ‘phone); wait outside for the fire brigade to arrive; and render all necessary assistance to the fire officer in command.
  • In the case that it is clear that there is nobody requiring assistance then leave the laboratory and ensure that no one can unwittingly enter the laboratory area before the oxygen depletion problem has been investigated by competent laboratory staff.

First-Aid

During normal ‘office’ hours. Report all accidents requiring first-aid to a member of laboratory staff.
Outside of normal ‘office’ hours. Contractors and sub-contractors are responsible for making their own first-aid arrangements.

Refresher training

Contractors, sub-contractors and visitors that visit the laboratory on an intermittent  basis or over an extended period of time will be required to undertake appropriate refresher training to ensure that they remain competent to access the laboratory area.

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Bedfordshire University

Research» Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Science and Technology» Health and safety» Contractors & Visitors

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