FIRST starts limited operation on April 28th, 2020.

User access will start under strictly controlled conditions on Tuesday, April 28th, 2020 and is based on the ETH Masterplan and its boundary conditions.
Please read the subsequent rules carefully.

General user rules, the rules by ETH for access to laboratories as defined in the COVID-19 master plan for restricted operation according to phase 3.1 (until end of June 8th, 2020) apply. In addition, special FIRST rules apply for operation in phase 3.1. All activities not conforming to these rules are forbidden; the FOT may allow for exceptions in case of urgencies, after consultation with the corona team (SGU).

Operation rules during phase 3.1:

• Only trained users may work in the lab: no equipment training or general introductions will be given under these rules, and no new users will be accepted. Only daytime (07:00 - 18:00, Mon - Fri) work is allowed (no nightworking); this rule may be modified by FOT, if FIRST-Lab is in high request, to reduce the number of people present in the lab.
  UPDATE: new operation hours:
  Mon - Sat, 6 am - 11 pm; no access on Sundays; Night work rules apply.
  
• Visitors are excluded from accessing FIRST-Lab under these rules.
• At the maximum, two persons from FIRST-Lab staff will be on premise, for restocking of consumables, waste disposal, mail collection, and intervention in case of equipment failure, but they will not provide any assistance for processes. All other staff will work from home.

Personal protection

• Official rules (BAG, ETH) must be strictly followed; in particular, 2 m distance between all people must be kept at any time.
• The use of gloves and masks is mandatory in cleanroom and service area.
• Only personal goggles are permitted, and their use is mandatory for working at microscopes, to prevent contamination of oculars.
• Before entering and after leaving the lab, all users must thoroughly wash hands with soap and water at the sink next to the lab entrance.
• Overalls must be put on hangers separated from each other, and hangers blocked (by tape or other means) may not be used; in addition, users must make sure overalls never touch each other.
• Please restrict yourself to the absolutely necessary visits of the cleanroom, and keep the number of people per group entering the cleanroom low. Please keep in mind that each visit of the cleanroom requires new personal protective consumables (i.e. masks). Be collegial and take over small tasks for other members of your groups if possible.
• Additional guidelines will be provided inside the cleanroom (e.g. overall handling) and/or additional email information.
  

Room occupancy

• Up to 12 users (except staff) are permitted in the lab at any time, as displayed on the monitor at the entrance.
• Users must take their personal magnets from the whiteboard at the entrance into the lab, and indicate their presence on sheets provided at room doors.
• The number of users in the individual rooms inside the cleanroom is limited to 1 user in SEM, Nanolitho, laser ablation, ICP2 rooms; to 2 users in deposition, wet chemistry, photolithography, analysis rooms, MOVPE; to 3 users in the MBE room.

Equipment

• Only one designated person per group can book equipment for the individuals of the group. Each booking is tentative and needs approval by the FOT before the cleanroom may be entered. (This is to implement the rules above and to make sure that all groups get their fair share based on prior usage).
  
• No equipment trainings will be given.
• Equipment may only be used by one person at any time; collaborative work is forbidden.
• Support is restricted to maintenance and remote assistance, i.e no on-premise consulting with responsibles or lab staff is possible.
• Adjacent equipment can be interlocked in the reservation system, to prevent users from working in close proximity.
• Some equipment may only be used by equipment responsibles; such cases are indicated in the reservation system, and users then must request service by responsibles.

Working in FIRST is a privilege, especially at this time. Any violation of the Corona safety rules (i.e. ignore social distancing, too many users in the lab/room) will cause banning from FIRST during the first ramp-up phase (until 08.06.2020) without warning. This policy is in alignment with measures in the departments. It is in the responsibility of each user to obey the rules and to avoid a closure of the cleanroom (and your own research groups) due to the spread of the Corona virus!

We thank all users for they cooperation and we wish all of them a safe and productive time in FIRST in period 3.1.