Please observe and respect all signs and posted instructions. Follow the verbal instructions of site personnel in emergency situations (weather, fire, earthquake, pandemic, etc.).
1. SAFETY ON THE ROAD
The road is and has been the biggest safety hazard at Las Campanas. The conditions of the road are usually misleadingly good, inviting fast and careless driving.
Visitors should NOT drive to and from the mountain. The chances of an accident are greatly reduced with knowledge of the road and experience with mountain driving. This holds for observatory transport as well as private or rented vehicles.
Any desired visit to the mountain must be authorized in advance. All traffic on the access road to the observatory will need to clear security checkpoints and submit current license information prior to receiving road safety guidelines and a GPS monitor.
Visitors are allowed to drive on the mountain provided they have valid current drives license. Please use ONLY the car you have been allocated. Driving on the mountain is restricted to the roads between the lodge and the telescopes. If you are going to drive anywhere else (La Silla, Las Campanas peak, hiking, etc.) you must get permission to do so. Ask someone on the technical staff for instructions on how to obtain permission.
MAXIMUM SPEED ON THE MOUNTAIN IS 30-MPH (50Km/h) IN THE DAYTIME AND 20-MPH (30Km/h) AT NIGHT. PASSING IS NOT ALLOWED ANYWHERE ON THE MOUNTAIN, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF PASSING HEAVY AND SLOW MACHINERY, ONLY IF YOU HAVE ADEQUATE VISIBILITY.
When driving on LCO roads you should not turn on your vehicle lights, you can only use the emergency lights (flashing) so as not to affect the observation. There is an obligation to turn on only these lights between sunset and sunrise.
During bad weather conditions, driving has to be reduced to an absolute minimum. Please return to the Lodge while conditions still allow driving back safely. After a snowstorm, maintenance personnel will, first of all, clean the road to the telescopes. DO NOT go to the telescopes before the road has been cleared. Ice is as much of a hazard as snow, or more. Watch out for slippery roads.
2. SAFETY ON THE MOUNTAIN
Like at any Observatory, there are areas of potential danger on the mountain. These are mostly related to:
a) Falling from heights
b) Falling objects
c) Being trapped by machinery or mechanisms
As a general safety rule, DON'T EXPLORE FACILITIES ON THE MOUNTAIN UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY SOMEONE ON THE LOCAL STAFF.
IT IS OBVIOUSLY FORBIDDEN TO ENTER RESTRICTED AREAS MARKED AS SUCH. NOTE AND OBEY POSTED SAFETY SIGNS AND INFORMATION.
By all means, avoid climbing on telescopes, structures, domes or any other potentially dangerous places. If this is absolutely necessary for your work or to satisfy reasonable and normal curiosity, ask someone on the technical crew to go with you and follow instructions.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LOUVERS IN THE MAGELLAN DOMES ARE OPERATED REMOTELY AND CAN BE SET IN MOTION DURING THE DAY AS WELL AS THE NIGHT AT ANY TIME. KEEP CLEAR OF THEM AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE INTRODUCE AN ARM OR ANY PART OF THE BODY IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THEM.
WHEN WALKING OUTSIDE DOMES AT NIGHT, ALWAYS CARRY A RED FLASHLIGHT (CELL PHONE FLASHLIGHTS ARE USELESS). PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THREE STEPS ON THE CATWALK OUTSIDE THE MAGELLAN CONTROL ROOMS. A SMALL RED LIGHT INDICATES THESE, BUT COMING OUT OF A WELL LIT ROOM, YOU MAY NOT SEE THE LIGHT.
Always walk on the left side of the road, but drive on the right side. At night, you may walk on paved roads only if weather conditions allow you to do so safely. If you are unsure about this, please consult with a member of our staff. If observations have been cancelled due to weather conditions, it is forbidden to stay outside (hotel, rooms and telescopes).
It is ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN to climb on the outer parts of domes as well as the upper ends of telescopes.
Unless you are required to be part of the operation of mounting or dismounting an instrument or parts of instruments or telescopes, you should observe such actions carried out by the technical crew from a safe distance. This is for your own safety, that of others and for the integrity of instruments and components.
If you enter a place marked as "Hard Hat" area or where other people are using this protection, you are required to procure the same protection for yourself. This also applies to eye protection.
Always use eye and limb protection when handling potentially dangerous instruments, elements or cryogens.
A potential cause of accidents is being trapped by machinery or mechanisms. Please keep away from moving machines (moving scaffolds, platforms, cherry pickers, backhoes, graders, loaders, etc.) and use extreme care when working with or near such devices.
On a somewhat different note, remember that good health is necessary in order to carry out your work. Don't try to be heroic. Make use of our local clinic and if required to go to La Serena, don't dismiss it.
3. REPORTING AN ACCIDENT
A timely and accurate report of an accident can be very helpful. Please keep in mind that language can be a serious barrier in a stressful situation. Therefore try to be accurate and remain calm when reporting an accident.
Simple rules:
a) The report should go first to the person in charge of the mountain. This person is, from Mondays to Thursdays, Mr. MARCELO RODRIGUEZ (Extension 660). In any event, everyone on the technical crew will know exactly who should be informed.
b) Try to avoid driving and prefer the phone system. It might take a minute or two to locate someone but it will certainly take more time to find someone by driving. Moreover, you will increase the chances of further accidents.
c) Do not move a person who has suffered an accident or injury without help from other people. There is always a trained paramedic on the mountain.
d) If there is an accident which requires anything more than basic local assistance, the person(s) involved will be transported to La Serena where we have an agreement with one of the major clinics. If required, an ambulance will drive up from Serena to meet our emergency vehicle going down.
FOR NIGHT TIME EMERGENCIES OR HEALTH RELATED PROBLEMS IN GENERAL, CALL THE PARAMEDIC AT 672