You can request in-house emergency response instructions, fire drills or training activities for your department by sending an email to bhvadministratie.amd@vu.nl.
Employees and students have an important role in alerting others in case of an incident, calamity or other acute situation. To activate the alarm (see the alarm card in the workspace) in case of a fire or accident, break the glass of the red handheld fire alarm to:
- directly alert the campus control room
(see the instructions in the workspace)
and
- call the VU emergency number 22222 or 020 598 22 22.
If you call the VU emergency number, you will be connected to the campus control room.
Note: if you are in the VU Sports Centre at Uilenstede, call the national emergency number: 0-112 (from VU landlines) or 112 (using your mobile).
If someone has been injured, stay with them until help arrives. An emergency response officer will come to the scene of the fire or accident and take the necessary action.
The AED is an important device, but it does not replace CPR. Heart massage and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation always remain the first step in emergency care. Anyone can use an AED, even if they have never received training. Research shows that even untrained people can use an AED successfully, so you should always use an AED if necessary. In most VU buildings, you will find an AED by the entrance, at security or reception.
In situations where someone’s life is at risk (for instance in case of heart failure or if someone is seriously injured) and urgent medical attention is needed, the following action can be taken (usually by someone with first aid training or security):
All incidents and accidents must be registered. You can report them via the internal safety hotline. The report is then sent to the HR, Health, Safety and Environment department and security.
You can also use this form if you want to report an unsafe situation that does not require an immediate response.
Undesirable or unsafe circumstances where someone has been exposed to hazardous materials (such as carcinogenic substances) or biological agents (such as pathogenic bacteria), or the discharge of contaminants into the environment (soil, water and air) are all situations that must be reported as well.
An accident must be reported if it involved a deadly victim, or if someone suffered permanent injuries or required hospitalisation. Permanent injuries include amputation, blindness, chronic physical conditions and psychological trauma. Hospitalisation also includes short-stay admissions. Outpatient treatment is not considered hospitalisation.
If you think you have witnessed a serious accident, alert the HR, Health, Safety and the Environment department by calling 22222.
The quickest way for managers to report serious workplace accidents (also outside office hours) is by calling 0800 5151.
The aim of the in-house emergency response team is to respond quickly in case of emergencies or situations that can lead to an emergency, in order to:
The in-house emergency response team contributes to:
The operational the in-house emergency response organisation has been organised so assistance can be provided for the emergencies that can happen as a consequence of the daily activities within VU Amsterdam. There is an in-house emergency response team lead (the director of Corporate Real Estate and Facilities). Health, Safety and Environment organises the training, writes up the company emergency plan and the in-house emergency response policy and gives substantive advice about the in-house emergency response team.
The operational in-house emergency response team consists of employees of Corporate Real Estate and Facilities/Energy Coordination Center, the security staff and volunteer in-house emergency response team members of faculties and divisions. The different in-house emergency response roles are: allround in-house emergency response team member with breathing air skills, evacuation warden or certified First Aid provider. The team leader is operationally in charge in case of in-house emergency response team deployment.
During opening times of the buildings the deployment of the in-house emergency response team is guaranteed. The in-house emergency response team members of the security staff and employees who work continuous shifts are present 24/7. After working hours, the occupation of the buildings is lower and fewer in-house emergency response team members are needed.
Managers have a role in educating (new) employees on what to do in case of emergency (evacuation routes, emergency exits, meeting points, extinguishers, hand-operated fire alarm).
If there are special gatherings (such as festivals, congresses), for example the festival organisation receives additional emergency response instructions.
While performing their job, employees may be confronted with human suffering, such as: death, shocking events (e.g. robbery), serious injury, mutilation, emotional reactions or an emergency. Research has shown that the coping process is facilitated by the social support in someone's surroundings. VU Amsterdam has a Guideline for Aftercare of Shocking events.
Smaller first-aid incidents and feeling unwell generally happen regularly. They are the most common accidents. Serious injuries generally happen (relatively) rarely. In addition, incidents in laboratories may happen, there can be technical disruptions or short circuits, en sometimes there may be material damages. Realistic scenarios of incidents and emergencies that may happen within VU Amsterdam are:
These scenarios are elaborated on in factsheets of the Company Emergency Plan (BNP). The BNP is mostly aimed at those who have an in-house emergency response role in the company emergency organisation in case of an incident or emergency, such as the in-house emergency response team, First Aid providers and crisis team members. An employee or student thus does not need to know the BNP to still be able to do the right thing (see under What can employees do themselves?)
The in-house emergency response team scales up if necessary, in case of a serious accident/emergency. This is a generic scale-up principle within the integral company emergency organisation. The in-house emergency response team has three scale-up levels (operational, tactical, strategic). Handling an emergency happens according to these levels ascendingly based on severity and scale and the impact it has on the organisation:
The team lead comes to the incident location. The team lead assesses the situation and if necessary, they discuss with the in-house emergency response team members/First Aid provider if external emergency assistance (such as ambulance or firefighters) is necessary. The team lead decides if the OCT is called. The OCT is called if:
First Aid providers
In principle, per building there are always First Aid providers present who can be called via a tracer. Carriers of a walkie-talkie, such as security staff, can be called as well.
Periodically, the number of First Aid providers is assessed. The allround in-house emergency response team members and the VU Amsterdam security staff are certified in basic life-saving skills.
In-house emergency response is mandated via the Working Conditions Law, among others. VU Amsterdam has a 'customised' in-house emergency response organisation with a sufficient number of adequately trained in-house emergency response team members. The in-house emergency response organisation is the outpost (for the first 10-15 minutes) of external emergency assistance such as firefighters and ambulance. According to the Working Conditions Law article 15, the in-house emergency response team duties are:
In emergency situations, clear communication is crucial. Because of this, the vernacular language for the in-house emergency response team is Dutch, since the external emergency services operate in Dutch as well. Are you interested in contributing to the in-house emergency response? Speaking Dutch is a requirement. You can find the information on the Dutch web page.
On the page Company Emergency Organisation, you find the integral VU Amsterdam policy concerning legal frameworks, set-up and prerequisites, and how the management and securing of the Company Emergency Organisation is arranged.
Copyright © 2026 - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam