Details and policies

Primary mission of the CLYM

The primary mission of the CLYM is:

  • To manage the technical aspects of the microscopes and associated instruments on behalf of the scientific community made up of its partners. This mission encompasses the checks and verifications necessary for proper functioning of the instruments as well as ensuring the implementation of appropriate preventive measures in order to ensure user safety.
  • To train users on the theory behind and the practical use of the managed instruments.
  • To promote scientific exchanges between partners, and to promote microscopy vis-à-vis external entities.
  • To set up a federative scientific project as an extension of partner projects, in order to maintain cutting-edge equipment and expertise.

 

Management of the instrument facilities

The CLYM manages instruments located

  • on the INSA Lyon campus, principally in the basement of the Blaise Pascal building (INSA site),
  • on the CNRS campus, at the IRCELYON Laboratory (CNRS Lyon site)
  • on the Manufacture campus of the Jean-Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, at the Hubert Curien Laboratory (LabHC-UJM site).

The details and policies here within do not apply to microscopes belonging to the CLYM partner laboratories (“satellite” microscopes). These microscopes are managed under specific details and policies of the relevant partner laboratory.

These regulations, with the exception of article 4, apply to instruments from partner laboratories installed on the premises of the various CLYM sites, even if access to these devices is reserved for members of the laboratories concerned

 

1) Operating Rules

The CLYM operates by booking instruments through the CLYM website (http://clym.fr/en/booking). Each user must log in with his/her personal identifiers (INSA or personalized for exteriors) and agrees when booking to indicate precisely the number of people accessing the session, the type of manipulation (EDX, EBSD, etc.) and to make a complete and detailed description of his / her sample (s). The members of the microscope teams, the safety officer and the Director of the CLYM are entitled to request further information on the sample and to cancel the session if they believe that there is a potential risk.

Basic supplies include stubs, carbon adhesives, routine chemicals (ethanol, acetone, and liquid nitrogen) as well as basic tips for atomic force microscopy (AFM). All these supplies are intended for use on the CLYM premises.

 

2) Access and Training

The CLYM is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. except on public holidays and official annual holidays defined by the partner establishments: INSA Lyon, IRCELYON for the CNRS Lyon site, Jean Monnet University.

The internal regulations of the various higher education and research establishments, and in particular those concerning health and safety at work, are applicable locally on the relevant sites.

For safety reasons, no user is authorized to work alone on CLYM premises outside these hours. Under exceptional circumstances if out of hours access to CLYM instruments is necessary, users can make a written request in advance to their hierarchical superior and the Director of the CLYM.

Instruments are made available to users subject to validation of theoretical and practical training provided by the microscope teams of each instrument. However, for the use of equipment outside of normal hours, the user must be completely autonomous.

Users are not authorized to train other people, except with the express agreement of the relevant reference persons. In the case of non-respect of these terms, their laboratory will bear the costs of any possible repair of the damage committed by these people. The CLYM also disclaims all liability in such cases.

INSA Lyon site

The INSA Lyon site must be accessed via the Blaise Pascal building, possibly via a badge access. Access to all the instruments located on the premises of the CLYM INSA Lyon site is authorized from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

SUPRA 55VP (MATEIS microscope), MEB XL30: the days are divided into 5 daytime time slots: 8h00-10h30, 10h30-13h00, 13h00-15h30, 15h30-18h00 and 18h00-20h00. A night slot (20h00-8h00) is also available for the automatic acquisition of EBSD maps without the physical presence of the user.

ESEM Quattro, MET 2010F: the days are divided into two daytime slots: 8h00-13h30, 13h30-19h00.

FIB: the days are divided into 3 daytime slots: 7h00-12h00, 12h00-17h00, 17h00-20h00. A night slot from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. is also open for reservation for milling/patterning or automatic data acquisition without the physical presence of the user.

AFM: the days are divided into 2 daytime slots: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Access to MATEIS or CLYM sample preparation materials (wire saw, PIPS, ILION, carbon/gold coater, ultrasonic bath, hot plate, nanoparticle hood and optical and infrared microscopes) is authorized from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. after training given by the referents.

CNRS site

Access to the ETEM microscope, located on the premises of the CLYM-CNRS site, is authorized from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The day is divided into 2 daytime slots: 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Access is also governed by the IRCELYON laboratory, declared a Restricted Regime Zone. All visitors must be declared in advance (minimum 48 hours) according to the procedure set up by IRCELYON. For all new users, access is subject to the authorization of the CNRS Defence and Security Official (legal response time of 2 months and 1 day).

LabHC-UJM site

Access to the microscope located on the UJM premises is authorized from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The day is divided into 2 daytime slots: 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

 

3) User Fees & Billing

Access to microscopes is chargeable (see website http://www.clym.fr in the practical aspects / User fees), except for projects funded by the CNRS METSA federation.

Any session reserved and cancelled less than 24 hours in advance will be invoiced to the user’s laboratory, if no other user has been able to take the cancelled session. In the case of a late cancellation, or absence, it is therefore recommended to send an electronic message to all users to notify them that the instrument is available for booking.

Any user who sees their session interrupted following a non-compliance with one of the clauses of these internal regulations or the internal regulations of the host establishment must pay the cost of the session.

 

4) Intellectual Property & Acknowledgements

The images obtained by users are not the property of the CLYM. However, users may be asked for authorization to use certain images in the context of actions to promote the CLYM. All documents (paper or digital) produced for this purpose may not be reproduced and distributed without written authorization from the CLYM management.

The recognition of the CLYM is based on research carried out by different users as well as on collaborations between partners. Consequently, the CLYM must be thanked by using the following mention:

The authors acknowledge the Consortium Lyon Saint-Etienne de Microscopie (CLYM, FED 4092)
for the access to the microscopes.

For studies funded by the CNRS METSA Federation, the following mention must also be indicated in the acknowledgments:

The authors acknowledge the CNRS network "Microscopie Electronique et Sonde Atomique"
(METSA, FR CNRS 3507) for financial support.

The use of the microscope on the UJM site implies the following mention:

The authors acknowledge Saint-Étienne Metropole for financial support in the framework of the
CPER 2015-2020.

In addition, in the event of significant involvement of one or more people in any technological development, sample preparation, acquisition and/or data processing, the person (s) concerned must appear in the author list of the articles resulting from this collaboration.

A list of publications and other communications, reports or patents, based in whole or in part on CLYM resources, will be requested at the start of each calendar year.

 

5) Workplace Health & Safety and Occupational Risks

Any user working alone, regardless of the site on which they are located, must have a lone worker safety device (poste de travail isolé, PTI) allowing, in the event of an accident, to notify somebody rapidly in order to intervene and arrange for emergency assistance if necessary. It is imperative to respect the conditions of use of the lone worker safety device as indicated during the training.

In addition, in order to preserve everybody’s safety, regardless of the site, all users must imperatively read and comply with the general safety instructions, and in particular the evacuation instructions in the event of fire.

In addition, the large number of users coming to use the different instruments requires rigorous rules of self-discipline, common sense and health and safety:

  • Everyone agrees not to smoke (nor vape), drink and / or eat in the microscopy rooms and sample preparation rooms.
  • Everyone must comply with the health and safety rules (wearing a lab coat, gloves, protective glasses…) indicated in operating procedure of each instrument as well as those specified during training.
  • Each user undertakes not to handle or put pathogenic, explosive, radioactive or toxic products in the microscopes and the microscopy labs.
  • The analysis of samples that may present a biological risk or CMR (Chemical agent having medium or long term carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction effects (list available online on the INRS website: www.inrs.fr) must be subject to a risk analysis. The risk analysis should verify their harmlessness to users, taking into account the conditions used for their imagery and the personal protective equipment made available. The risk analysis must be sent to CLYM management to obtain authorization to study these samples in the microscopes. Without authorization, it is forbidden to bring them into the CLYM premises.
  • Users should not bring any chemicals into the microscopy rooms. Only ethanol can be present in these rooms to clean sample holders, tweezers, small tools etc...
  • After each use of a microscope or of the various preparation equipment, users undertake to clean and tidy-up the workspace(s).
  • Samples should not be left in the microscopy or preparation rooms. Any sample not correctly labelled (surname, first name, nature, laboratory / group, date) will be removed during the monthly waste collections.
  • Each user must comply with the selective waste system at their disposal.
  • Users should signal to the contact person when consumables are close to running out.
  • For users exterior to the host laboratory (MATEIS for the INSA site, IRCELYON for the CNRS site, LabHC for the UJM site), samples should be prepared, as far as possible, at their laboratory. If necessary, sample preparation must be made in the preparation rooms provided for this purpose, and in all cases outside of the microscopy rooms.
  • Any health and safety incident must be notified in the CLYM health and safety register for the site in question.
  • Users should ensure that doors and windows are closed when they leave.

As a reminder, these rules apply in addition to the rules in force in the host laboratories (MATEIS for the INSA Lyon site, IRCELYON for the CNRS Lyon site, LabHC for the UJM site).