As a member of a contractor’s personnel working at CERN, you’re covered by the same CERN Safety Rules as everyone else on site. This page walks through registration, mandatory Safety trainings, working outside normal hours, and your day-to-day Safety responsibilities at CMS.
Official references: the administrative registration process is managed centrally by CERN, not by CMS, so it can change independently of this page. For the complete and always up-to-date procedure check the Admin e-guide – Registration of contractors’ personnel.
Planning an Intevention under an existing contract
Your company already has a frame contract with CERN (including an established WSCP and PdP) and you or a colleague need to come on site to perform the agreed works.
Timeline at a glance (mandatory steps to be followed)
| 8-12 weeks before | Agree the intervention date with your CERN contact, and send the list of personnel names who will take part in the intervention. Your CERN contact will communicate any training needs in addition to the mandatory ones for site access. |
| 4 weeks before | Submit pre-registration documents (Registration Form, SIPSI declaration (for non French companies intervening in France) and ID scans of the intervening personnel) to your CERN contact to prepare the resgistration. |
| 2 weeks before | Verify all trainings and access permissions of the intervening personnel are valid. |
| 1 week before | Make sure you have all the materials ready and details of the intervention available. Save the number of your CERN contact person in your phone as well as the number for the CERN Fire and Rescue Service (+41 22 767 4848). Familiarize yourself with the itinerary and read what to do on the day of your arrival. |
Day of the intervention
- Collect your badge (and dosimeter if relevant) at Building 33 (CERN Reception, Meyrin site) before heading to Point 5. Bring a valid ID and plan extra time in the morning for this. Consider the working hours of the Dosimetry Service to ensure they will be available.
- After collecting your badge (and dosimeter in case relevant) you can drive to the place of intervention. In case the intervention is at LHC Point 5 (CMS), plan 30 minutes for the commute. Respect site speed limits, parking rules and vehicle access / material delivery procedures.
- In case of an intervention at Point 5: report to the CMS control room (3562/R-005) on arrival.
- Meet with the CERN referent for the intervention and discuss the planning and works on-site. Discuss any uncertainties you might have.
- Perform the agreed works and contact your CERN referent in case of any questions. Mark your working area and inform people that might be concerned by co-activities. At the end of the day check that your work area is left safe and clean.
- Inform the CERN referent for a final check at the end of the intervention and return your access card (and dosimeter if applicable) to the CERN Community Support Centre (Building 33)
Setting up a frame contract (initiation and first intervention)
You’re a contract manager, technical contact, or company representative putting the framework in place before any personnel come to CMS.
Applicable law: France or Switzerland
Which country’s labor law applies depends on the “Foreseeable Preponderant Share” of your work location and the base of your company. This determines whether a French secondment declaration (SIPSI) or a Swiss notification (OCIRT / SEM) is required. Generally, the labour laws and standards of the host states where the work will be performed are to be respected. Your contractor’s representative handles this, but it’s worth knowing it’s happening in the background.
Setting up the contract (required documents)
Safety is already included in the tendering process and the contract creation. Consult with your CERN referent for the contract to determine the following:
- Plan de Prévention (Prevention Plan): a joint risk analysis by CERN and the contractor covering hazards from interfering activities.
- Work and Safety Coordination Plan: needed for larger or co-activity operations, together with an appointed Safety Coordinator.
- Safety Management Plan: established by the intervening company to demonstrate risk assessments and define clear actions.
Pre-registration (PREGRO)
Your contractor’s representative (CERN-side) pre-registers you via the Pre-Registration Form for Contractors (PREGRO), with your ID, secondment declaration and any work permit needed. In order to initiate this process please submit all the required documents to your CERN referent. The detailed procedure is explained in the timeline. Late submissions can delay your access to the site.
When a new contractor registers for the first time, a CERN online account is created. This gives the individual access to CERN tools such as the “Learning Hub” to complete the mandatory training. Please review the messages sent to you and ensure that you provide a valid email address on your registration form so that your account login credentials can be sent to you.
Timeline at a glance (mandatory steps to be followed)
| 12-15 weeks before | Establish the contract while agreeing on: – the project safety plan (from intervening company) – the Work and Safety Coordination Plan (EDMS 2083401, from CERN) – the Plan de Prévention (from CERN) |
| 8-12 weeks before | Agree the intervention date with your CERN contact, and send the list of personnel names who will take part in the intervention. Your CERN contact will communicate any training needs in addition to the mandatory ones for site access. |
| 6 weeks before | Submit pre-registration documents (Registration Form, SIPSI declaration (for non French companies intervening in France) and ID scans of the intervening personnel) to your CERN contact to prepare the resgistration and creation of an online account. |
| 4 weeks before | Follow all required trainings that were defined with the CERN contract referent. Request all access permissions required. |
| 2 weeks before | Verify all trainings and access permissions of the intervening personnel are valid. |
| 1 week before | Make sure you have all the materials ready and details of the intervention available. Save the number of your CERN contact person in your phone as well as the number for the CERN Fire and Rescue Service (+41 22 767 4848). Familiarize yourself with the itinerary and read what to do on the day of your arrival. |
Mandatory Safety trainings and accesses
Before you can start work, you need the Safety trainings that match your activity and area. All mandatory courses are listed in the CERN Training Catalogue on the LMS. If you’re issued a computing account, you also need to complete the computer security course within 5 days of activation. Here are the basic mandatory trainings (online) for everybody:
- Safety at CERN
- Emergency Evacuation
- Computer Security
- Data Privacy Basics
- Ethics at CERN
- Security Awareness
In addition to the basic mandatory trainings there are also access and activity related trainings. These trainings are mandatory for accessing LHC Point 5 (CMS):
- CERN – LHC Large Experiments (online)
- CMS – Surface & Underground Areas (online)
- Self-Rescue Mask (classroom), only required when acessing underground areas
- Radiation Protection – Supervised Area (online), only required when acessing underground areas
Accesses and access permissions are managed via ADaMS at CERN. Detailed information on accesses and their management can be found on the dedicated Access Requirements by Zone page. For contractors at LHC Point 5 (CMS) the following access permissions are relevant:
- CMS_S (to access surface buildings)
- CMS USC (to enter the underground service cavern)
- CMS UXC (to enter the underground experimental cavern)
Working outside normal hours (AET)
CERN’s normal working hours are 8:30 a.m. to 17:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Any work outside that window (evenings, nights, weekends) needs an Autorisation Exceptionnelle de Travail (AET), requested in advance by the CERN technical manager responsible for your contract. Without a valid AET, you won’t be able to access the site outside normal hours.
Your Safety responsibilities at CMS
Hold valid trainings for your activity
Make sure your Safety trainings are current for the specific area and task you’re working on.
Wear the right PPE
Safety shoes, helmet where required, high-visibility clothing, and eye and hearing protection as applicable to your task.
Know the hazards of the area you’re working in
If you’re not sure what the hazards are for the area or task you’ve been assigned, ask before you start.
Waste and housekeeping
Sort and dispose of waste correctly, and leave your work area clean at the end of each day.
Your own equipment must be conform
Ladders, harnesses, lifting gear, and electrical tools must be conform and within their inspection validity.
Report issues
If you notice something unsafe, or you’re involved in or witness an incident, report it.
Your relevant locations
In an emergency
Call +41 22 76 74444 in case of emergency or incident.
Never transport an injured person yourself. Trigger the evacuation alarm if required, and alert others where it’s safe to do so.