- Employed at Lnu
- Security
- Personal safety
Personal safety
Personal safety is one of five security areas at Linnaeus University. The overall security work is led by the Security Department.
In a serious situation, you should call the police
- In case of emergency, call 112
- If the situation is not urgent, call 114 14
Contact your immediate manager and tell them what happened.
You can get support from security guards
In situations that require external assistance assistance, please contact Avarn directly by phone:
- Kalmar: 0480- 49 77 00
- Växjö: 0470-76 71 00
Contact persons within Linnaeus University
- Security Specialist Personal Safety: Oskar Sandgren, 0470-708444
General information about personal safety
The goal of personal safety is for employees, students and partners to have safe and secure workplaces, and for visitors to feel safe when they are on the University's premises.
Personal safety work will prevent and minimise the risks of threats, violence and injuries, as well as support affected employees and students.
In the event of an emergency or an elevated threat scenario, it must be possible to raise and adapt the security levels to the circumstances.
Threats and violence in the work environment
Threats mean verbal or written threats of physical violence or vandalism. Violence refers to aggressive actions that lead, or may lead to, physical or psychological harm to another person. Some different forms of threats and violence are illegal stalking (stalking), assault, harassment, bomb threats, robbery or threats via e-mail, telephone or during visits.
The risk of being exposed to threats or violence varies depending on the profession and the work tasks. The risk of being exposed to threats or violence is greater where the following elements are present
- Money, goods or other valuables
- Power or authority function
- Meetings with people
If you have been exposed, immediately contact the security manager/security coordinator and the relevant immediate manager (NB, in an emergency situation, call 112). Document by saving e-mails, text messages, call lists on the phone and/or in what way you have been harassed.
Employer's responsibility
Employees who have been subjected to hatred, threats or violence should first contact their immediate manager (NB, in an emergency situation, call 112). The responsible manager is responsible for ensuring that affected employees receive relevant support and that measures are taken and followed up. Managers can turn to contact persons in security work (see box above) for support and help.
The employer's responsibility regarding violence and threats of violence is described in the Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulation and general guidelines AFS 2023:2 (Chapter 5, Section 3)
The employer must:
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organise the work in such a way that the risk of violence, or the threat of violence, is prevented as far as possible;
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have special safety procedures for the work that may entail a risk of violence, or the threat of violence, and
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Follow up on the security procedures, and update them if anything changes, so that they are always up to date.
An appropriate way for the immediate manager to investigate risks is to follow up safety in the workplace during safety rounds and in connection with this inform employees who may be affected by the risks of any safety procedures.
Physical work environment
The University's premises must be designed so that they meet the requirements that apply to achieve good personal safety. Workplaces must be located, designed and equipped so that the risk of violence or the threat of violence is prevented as far as possible.
Libraries and receptions
Libraries and receptions are public areas where many visitors stay. If possible, it should be possible to lock the reception area so that visitors cannot get in and there should be an escape route for the staff. Working alone should be avoided as far as possible. Fixed and/or portable alarms should be provided with detailed and correct instructions for the alarm recipient.
Visiting room/study
If there is reasonable reason to assume that a person may become threatening or violent, then choose to receive the visit in a room with preferably two exits. If possible, please have a colleague present. Furnish the room so that you have free passage. Remember to remove loose furniture that can be used as a weapon
Support
Anyone who has been subjected to violence or threats of violence must immediately be given the chance to talk to their immediate manager, another colleague and/or Linnaeus University's crisis support team.
The manager must investigate what support the victim needs and can then contact the security department and HR to take action. When an employee has been affected by threats or threats of violence, it is important to also catch up with other colleagues and that there is an opportunity to talk about what has happened in the working group.
Advice if you feel threatened
A few simple rules of thumb to avoid provoking or being provoked in a threatening situation.
- Try to stay calm. The attack usually does not apply to you personally, but you just happen to be in the path of the aggressive person, or represent something that has aroused their anger.
- Listen actively. The aggressive person is pleasantly surprised to meet someone who is interested in their problems and willing to listen.
- Respect territory. The aggressive needs a larger territory. Don't get too close and wait with questions that may be perceived as personal, until you feel sure that you are accepted.
- Create breathing space. You can do this, for example, by moving to a suitable place where you can talk to each other undisturbed. Make sure others know where you're going.
- Take the other person seriously. Show respect for their emotional expressions.
- Use your professional skills. Trust your own competence and intuition.
- Refrain from threatening yourself. Then you avoid escalating the conflict.
- Stick to the point. Refrain from personal remarks, especially those that may offend or humiliate the opposing party.
- Avoid winner-loser situation. Try to have a discussion where no one needs to feel like a winner or a loser, but as a participant in solving a problem.
- Alert others to the situation. If the situation requires; flee and cry out for help. If necessary; call security personnel and/or police.
For me information on how to respond to agitated or threatening individuals in person, see "preventing threats and violence"-training on this page
Support for the head of department in complex cases
The Support Group for Complex Cases (SKÄ) is available to support heads of department in handling complex cases. The focus is on coordination and gathering expert support to help heads of department handle difficult cases that often require quick handling. The group handles cases involving students, but it can also involve staff.
The head of department turns to the head of security or the head of the student affairs division , who can call the group if necessary. Everything else is prioritized away in order to provide quick support and relief to the head of department.
Action plan in case of suspicion of ongoing lethal violence
Prioritize safety for yourself, other employees and students. Make a quick decision based on the given situation whether to flee from the danger or escape. When you are safe, alert the police via 112.
Flee/run – Flee at least 500 meters away from the danger. Avoid the traditional gathering place and gather in clusters.
Contain/hide – Lock yourself in a suitable space, barricade the entrance with furniture or similar. Observe sound and light discipline
Alarm/call 112 – tell them who you are, what has happened and where you are. If possible, tell them what weapons the perpetrator(s) have.
The right of emergency defence – In a situation where you cannot flee or escape and are met with violence or an imminent threat of violence, it is permissible to use proportionate force to defend yourself or someone else as far as possible It is not obviously indefensible.
For more information about how we at Linnaeus University should act in the event of a so-called PDV event, see the education Don't be afraid, be prepared | lnu.se
Incident reporting and reporting to the police
All incidents with elements of violence, threats or threats of violence must be documented and reported. See here for more information on incident report rotation
Police report
If you believe you have been the victim of a crime, you must report it to the police. Depending on the circumstances, attempted crimes must also be reported to the police.
Individual employees or students are primarily responsible for reporting to the police.
A police report can be made via
- Internet www.polisen.se
- Phone 114 14. NB! In emergency situations, call 112.
- Police officer at crime scene or police station
For advice and support in reporting to the police, contact the Security Department. Contact information can be found here: https://lnu.se/medarbetare/organisation/sakerhetsavdelningen/
Travel safety
Risk assessment
- Before each trip, a risk assessment must be made. Find out information about the destination and identify risks that exist. Assess the risks, formulate measures and document the risk assessment together with the responsible manager.
- See especially the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' recommendations and countries that the Ministry advises against here
- For support in how the risk assessment is made or further support in the assessment, contact sakerhet@lnu.se
Before the trip
- Make the necessary preparations such as checking that your passport is valid (as well as an EHIC if the trip is within the EU), if a visa is required for the country in question and checking whether any travel vaccinations are needed before the trip.
- Travel must be booked through Linnaeus University's contracted travel agency. For more information about travel and how to book your trip, read more here.
- All employees at Linnaeus University are covered by business travel insurance. The business travel insurance applies to all business trips that you make on behalf of the authority in Sweden and abroad. The insurance cover also applies in areas where the Ministry for Foreign Affairs advises against travel. As an employee, you should take an insurance certificate with you when travelling abroad for business. Contact your HR partner to get an insurance certificate.
- We also recommend that you download the app "UD Resklar" for current travel information for your destination as well as information about sudden events or crises. Read more here
- When traveling abroad, you should think about what electronics and information you really need to bring and how you use them. For more information, see the section "IT and information security when travelling" here
During the trip
- Stay updated via the app "UD Resklar" for current information about the destination.
- Should something happen, contact your immediate manager and inform them of what has happened.
- If you need emergency assistance abroad, for example if you are admitted to hospital or need to be transported home, you should contact the assistance company Falck Global Assistance. available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via
- Phone: +46 8 587 71749
- E-mail: fga@se.falck.com
More information