Roque
de Los Muchachos
La
Palma
Dear Colleague,
Welcome to the island of San
Miguel de La Palma and to the Telescopes of the Isaac Newton Group. May I wish
you a safe, productive and enjoyable visit.
Please take a few minutes to
read the accompanying notes: they are intended for all users of the 1m Jacobus
Kapteyn Telescope, the 2.5 m Isaac Newton Telescope and the 4.2m William
Herschel Telescope, known collectively as the Isaac Newton Group.
The notes will give you some
idea of how we operate, and they set out some fundamental information that is
vital to know (such as meal times). If you discover any mistakes in them or
feel that they can be improved, please add a note to the feedback form you will
be asked to complete at the end of your stay.
During your stay you will
meet or see many of our staff; all of them are here to make your observations
possible and successful, so please do not hesitate to ask anyone for advice or
assistance. The staff you will interact with most are listed below with a brief
description of their duties.
·
Support
Astronomer (SA): Each run is allocated a SA whose role is to help you maximize the
scientific returns from your trip. He or she will have contacted you or the
principal applicant in advance and will help you interact smoothly with the
rest of the Observatory. The SA will introduce you to operating the instrument
and telescope on the first night of your run. When things are running
satisfactorily he or she will probably leave you in peace unless you request
differently.
·
Telescope Operator (TO): The INT and WHT each have
a Telescope Operator whose role is also to support you and help you get the
best out of the equipment. Your TO also has an important role to play
safeguarding the telescopes, their associated equipment, and yourself. There
will be times when the TO will have to close down the telescope for safety
reasons. If he or she does so then it
will be because of criteria based on design limitations and experience. Your understanding,
if this happens to you, would be much appreciated.
·
Duty Engineer
(DE) / Incident Officer (IO): There is one Duty Engineer on site each day and
night. His or her name is posted in the control room. This person will be available in one of the telescope buildings
until 23.00 hours (contact via the intercom using code F79). In the event of a
fault or an emergency, first contact the WHT Telescope Operator for advice and if
necessary you may call the Duty Engineer at any time (extension 522 at night, room
317 in the houses).
You will have noticed that I
wished you a safe visit in my opening paragraph and have mentioned safety in
several other places. I make no apologies for this since there are many
potential hazards associated with operating large pieces of moving equipment in
the dark on a mountain top. We do our best to minimize the hazards but we rely
very much on your cooperation to maintain a good safety record. Please obey
safety rules and instructions, and heed advice. If you are uncertain about
anything, do not hesitate to ask.
Finally may I wish you once again a very successful visit.
Rene Rutten
Director of ING
NOTES
FOR VISITORS TO THE ISAAC
NEWTON
GROUP OF TELESCOPES
ON
LA PALMA
CONTENTS
First aid and emergencies 4
Fire 4
ING Safety Policy
5
Meals 5
Accommodation 6
Official transport to and from site 6
Transport on site 7
Walking 7
Communications 8
Mechanical Workshop 8
Telescope Buildings 9
On departure 9
Feedback Form 10
1. ON ARRIVAL
On arrival you will have
been directed to one of two receptions, depending on the time of day or other
circumstances. One reception is in the Residencia and it operates like the
reception in a hotel. It is not manned overnight but if you arrive late, you will find a key for your room and a
Visitor’s Pack containing these notes and a torch on the reception desk.
2. FIRST AID AND EMERGENCIES
There is a First Aid room in
the Residencia and one in the INT building. First Aid Kits are also located in
the JKT and WHT kitchens. In case of an
emergency contact the Incident Officer who is on site 24 hours a day. His name
is displayed on the notice-board in the entrance lobby of the INT, and on the
noticeboards in each Control Room.
If you a have a medical
condition which may be significant in the event of an accident or emergency,
please let the Head of ING or Incident Officer know. With your permission, they
will ensure that the essential personnel are aware of the condition. Be assured
that all medical matters are treated in strict confidence.
If you feel unwell, notify
the Incident Officer, or get someone to do so for you. For your own safety do
not, under any circumstances go to your room and lie down without first telling
someone. If someone else tells you they feel unwell, make sure the Incident
Officer is informed.
In any kind of emergency, contact
the Incident Officer by making an F79 call on the intercom. At night, telephone
room 317 by dialing 522.
FIRE ROUTINE
PROCEDURES
A fire team has been
established on the mountain top to co-ordinate the safe evacuation of staff from
the telescopes in the event of a fire.
The fire team consist of:
Operation team
Operation team manager
Duty technicians
If you discover a fire: 1. Raise the alarm at once by operating the
nearest Break Glass Fire Alarm Operating Point. 2. Call the Fire team for
assistance on the intercom (F 79). If
trained to use fire extinguishers and you feel that you can easily extinguish
the fire, attempt to do so with the equipment provided, but do NOT take
personal risks. If you cannot tackle
the fire, the fire gets out of control, or you escape route is threatened,
leave the building quickly and calmly by the nearest available escape route,
wherever possible, assisting in evacuating visitors.
Do not stop to collect
personal belongings.
Do not use the lifts.
On hearing the evacuation
signal (continuous sound of the fire alarm):
leave the building quickly and calmly by the nearest available escape
route, wherever possible assisting in the evacuation of visitors.
Do not stop to collect
personal belongings.
Do not use the lifts.
Fire assembly point: The normal place of assembly is the car
park, however you may be directed to another area by a member of the Fire
Team. Do not re-enter the building until
informed it is safe to do so by a member of the Fire Team.
If you believe someone is
missing, inform the Fire Team, or the Fire Brigade Officer.
4. ING SAFETY POLICY
A copy of the ING Safety
Policy can be found on the ING web page:
www.ing.iac.es/Intranet/safety/safetyindex.html.
Safety rules must be obeyed
by all visitors.
The Incident Officer is
always on site to deal with emergencies. All visitors must follow the
instructions of the Incident Officer.
5. MEALS
The meal times and costs are
as follows:
Breakfast: All times - 4.00 Euros
Lunch: 12:30 - 13:30 9.00
Euros
Dinner (Summer)18.00 - 20.00
- 9.00 Euros
Dinner (Winter)17:00 and
18:00 - 9.00 Euros
Dinner (Spring & Autumn)17:00 and 18:00 -
9.00 Euros
You can obtain meal tickets
at the entrance to the Dining Room; the tickets must be filled in with your
name, institution and date, written in capital letters, and then left on the
table. Meals should be booked in advance on the sheets at the entrance to the
dinning room in the Residencia.
Coffee and tea are available
on a self-service basis at the WHT, INT and JKT at any time of the day.
6. ACCOMODATION
The Residencia is operated
by the IAC. Ask the Residencia Receptionist for your room keys. Residencia keys
must be handed in to the Receptionist at the end of your stay. Leave a forwarding
address for any outgoing freight or post.
Cost
of lodging (1 night) Residencia 36.24 Euros (billing done by IAC)
All invoices must be paid to
the Residencia before departure.
To notify any changes in
accommodation requirements, contact the Residencia administration from Monday
to Friday between 9.00 and 15.00.
Please keep quiet in and
around the Residencia since staff and visitors may be sleeping at any time of
the day or night. At night lower the blinds on all windows and turn off
unwanted lights.
7. OFFICIAL TRANSPORT TO AND FROM SITE
The journey from Santa Cruz
de La Palma to the mountain top takes about 1 hour (via Mirca). On weekdays staff
transport leaves the Santa Cruz office at 07:45 to make the upward journey and
leaves the site at 16:00 (15:30 on Fridays) to make the downward journey.
Provided there are seats available you may use the Observatory cars to travel
up and down; otherwise a taxi can be arranged for you. At weekends there is
less frequent staff transport but it is not regular so would-be travelers
should check well in advance.
The ING transport consist of
a fleet of cars and 4-wheel-drive vehicles. Members of the permanent staff
often drive straight from their homes to the telescopes in the mornings and
vice-versa in the evenings without visiting the Santa Cruz de La Palma office.
Others call in at the office for administration purposes or to receive visitors
and drive them to the top. On weekdays you should report to the office before
07:45 in order to catch the transport.
For insurance and safety
reasons, nobody may drive off the site without written authorization.
REMEMBER: Never make your
own arrangements to travel up to or down from the site (by hire car, taxi, etc)
unless you have contacted the Incident Officer and made sure the road and
weather conditions are safe. In the winter period certain restrictions apply to
travel up and down. You must follow these. A copy of winter procedures will be
in your Visitors Pack when they apply.
8. TRANSPORT ON SITE
Visiting observers may make
use of the Seat Ibizas for transport around site, provided that they hold a
current full driving license. Make arrangements via your SA. These cars may not
be driven off site by visitors. Certain other vehicles are available from time
to time for on-site use. Check with the Incident Officer. Visitors should never
use the other 4 wheel drive vehicles.
The list of assigned Seat
Ibizas is at the keyboard in the Residencia Reception. When you leave site,
please put the keys on this keyboard (or, if necessary, the keyboard in the
entrance to the INT). In winter do not attempt to use 4 wheel drive until you
have been given instructions by your SA. Please look after these vehicles and
keep them clean and tidy. Please
remember the speed limit on site is 40 Km/h.
Although the TO, SA and the
visiting Astronomers on each telescope have a car assigned to them, there may
be occasions, particularly during bad weather when the fleet cars cannot get up
to the Observatory, so that the Incident Officer will need to re-assign the
Seat Ibizas to other users.
Please make sure you use
dipped car lights consistent with safety and you drive on the right.
Beware of pedestrians.
CAR
SCHEDULE
TOYOTA HILUX 28 BX IO/DE
SEAT IBIZA 42 BL WHT SA
SEAT IBIZA 97 BK WHT
OBS
SEAT IBIZA 47 BV WHT/
INT TO
SEAT IBIZA 43 BL INT
SA
SEAT IBIZA 37 BK INT
OBSERVER
SEAT IBIZA 43 BL JKT
SA
SEAT IBIZA 38 BK JKT
OBSERVER
9. WALKING
Please take care when walking
around the site. There are many precipices and the rock is very unstable. Keep
to roadways and marked paths. Beware of bad weather conditions: in poor
visibility it is extremely easy to lose your way and snow or ice can make the
shortest journey an ordeal. Be sure to collect a torch before it gets dark, and
always carry it with you after dark.
If you intend to leave site
to walk, always tell somebody before you leave or notify the Incident Officer.
10. COMMUNICATIONS
For
use of telephones, intercoms and e-mail there are full instructions in the
Communications Guide, copies of which are in each Control Room and the
administration offices.
Telephones: For external
lines dial 0. (International code is
00, code for UK 44; Holland 31; Germany
49; France 33; USA 1) No zero is required for internal calls, or when calling
IAC in Tenerife. Please log your private
external calls made from the ING telescopes. (This does not include those
made from the Residencia).
Fax: There are
several fax facilities available to you as listed below:
Residencia: 922
40.55.01
Operated by the
receptionist, available for incoming and outgoing faxes
INT Reception: 922 40.56.46
Available on self-service
basis. If you are unsure on how to operate it please ask.
WHT Fax: 922
40.55.67
Available on self-service
basis. If you are unsure on how to operate it please ask.
ING Sea-level Office main fax: 922 42.54.08
Not generally accessible but
useful if you want to receive a confidential fax.
Director of ING’s Office: 922 42.54.08
Not generally accessible but
useful if you want to receive a confidential fax.
Mail: A mail bag travels
up and down between the office and the mountain top each weekday. Outgoing mail
may be posted in the WHT by placing it in the pigeon hole marked “S/C office”
on the first floor; private post must have a stamp. Stamps and picture
postcards are on sale at the reception desk in the Residencia from 9:00 to
19:00. Check “visitors” pigeon hole for incoming mail.
11. MECHANICAL WORKSHOP
Should Mechanical
Engineering assistance be required during your visit, a comprehensively
equipped workshop staffed by experienced technicians is available Monday to
Thursday between 9:00 and 16:00 hrs, and from 9:00 to 15:30 hrs on Friday.
Contact Kevin Dee, Head of Operations, to access this
facility. Assistance outside normal working hours may be possible providing sufficient
notice is given.
12. TELESCOPE BUILDINGS
At night, keep lights to a minimum. Low-level lights only are
permitted in the INT stair wells and main void: carry a torch when moving
around the buildings. Keep the heat-lock doors closed also for reasons of fire
safety.
Designated clean areas
include computer rooms and control rooms.
Please do not bring food into them. Wear only indoor shoes (or
overshoes) in these areas.
Alcoholic drinks are not
allowed in the telescope buildings. Smoking is prohibited in all buildings.
Due to recent petty thefts
at the ING, security boxes have been installed in each of the ING control
rooms. To safe guard your personal
possessions we advise you to use these boxes, for items such as compact discs,
tapes. The key for the boxes are
located on the respective visiting astronomers car key ring.
13. ON DEPARTURE
Hand in your torch and pay
your bills for private telephone calls from the telescope buildings at the IAC
Administration Office. Fill in the on-line feedback form that can be obtained
on the web at:
http://www.ing.iac.es/Astronomy/observing/feedbackform.html
If you find scientific
interesting results from your observing run please feel free to contact the
editor of the ING Newsletter, Javier Méndez (jma@ing.iac.es). More
information on our newsletter can be found at http://www.ing.iac.es/PR/newsletter.
R Miles
October 2002