These newsletters are sent to staff and students regarding work environment, safety and health issues. The newsletter is published approximately 4 times a year, usually after LAMU meetings. Information from LAMU and the department rules and regulations can always be found at the website for Work environment. (Requires AU-network, use the VPN client from external locations).

Agendas and minutes from LAMU meetings are located on the O-drive:

O:\Nat-Tech_Geo-Faelles\Udvalg GEO\LAMU

AU focuses on 3 main areas in the 2022 workplace assessment:

• Daily management
• Stress & balance
• Offensive behavior

We are currently in the process of creating action plans for the 2022 workplace assessment, physical as well as psychological.

There has been some confusion lately related to student insurance: As a student, remember to have a fulltime insurance covering accidents, that applies to being at the department or on fieldtrips.

We discuss energy reducing actions without compromising health and safety. Please contact Charlotte if you have ideas to save electricity or heat.

The faculty expects huge energy expenses. Department of Geoscience is cooperating with BYG in order create an actionplan what will reduce energy consumption (electricity and heat) locally, at the department.

From October 1 2022 the government has decided that the temperature is lowered to 19 degrees in all public office-buildings.

You can help, start today:

• Turn off energy consuming units, e.g. light, computers, monitors, laboratory equipment etc. when you are not using them.
• Check out your samples in cold storage and freezers: Cold rooms require much more energy than refrigerators, our cold room in 1671 alone costs 20-30000 kr. per year (2021 pricelevel). Consider if some of your samples can be discarded, or maybe store them at higher temperatures?
• Close doors, specifically to laboratories: Turbulence is reduced while the risk of being exposed to hazardous substances is lowered, at the same time it reduces the volume of heated air that is removed by the ventilation systems. Energy used on heating up air that interacts with ventilation systems is one of our biggest concerns.

Get inspired by AU's new campaign: Kilowhat can you do? Use energy wisely

Department of Geoscience is planning the following work environment related events in 2023:

• We expect to have the course Ergonomi ambassadør. For members of the work environment organisation and the secretariat. Early 2023.
• Workshop with tools for Handling stress. For staff. Spring 2023?
• Workshop about Workplaceculture with the theme Appreciation. For staff. Before summer 2023.

Dates are not decided yet, more information about registration will follow.

We explore the options of having a course in first aid focussing on field work.

Members of the work environment and IT committees will again visit all offices Tuesday and Wednesday next week (September 27-28 2022). Our focus will be ergonomy and the annual IT security follow-up, simultanously:

• Ergonomy (links to designing an office space and appropriate workout)
• Information security at AU
• Protection of personal data (GDPR)
• Phishing

Since some staff members have moved offices, we will have a mini-workplace assessment and also follow up on the physical workplace assessment 2022. If there are matters that can/must be resolved right away, you are (as always) welcome to contact the secretariat or the work environment group for research/offices (Thomas Ulrich and Thomas Lund Hansen).

Remember to fasten cables using cable binders to ensure that the cleaning staff can access effortlessly.

Geoscience work environment portal (including newsletters)

Geoscience work environment organisation (contact information)

Work environment at Geoscience (flyer for new staff)

Emergencies and evacuation at Aarhus University

AU HR work environment

YouTube (department safety instruction videos)