Overview 

CEME, Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence, is a charity operating a world class education and business park in the London Thames Gateway, promoting innovative and stylish solutions for the engineering, manufacturing and technology sector. 

In order to promote quiet enjoyment and safety for all staff, tenants, visitors and contractors we require all on site to comply with the Code of Conduct as contained in this policy.

We have all types of people working, studying and visiting CEME and we ask that you behave at all times with tolerance and mutual respect. 

Our Mission and Vision 

Our mission is to inspire inclusive business growth, contributing to economic prosperity.

Our vision is a world where engineering, technology, design and manufacturing businesses improve life and wellbeing.

Our Customer Service Charter sets out our guiding principles and the standards of service you can expect. If you would like to give us your feedback on any of the services we offer, your experience here, or if you wish to make a suggestion that you think will help to improve CEME, please contact us at: info@ceme.co.uk. We will respond to your comment within two working days.

Our Values

You may have guessed that CEME isn’t your run of the mill landlord, science park or business centre. The whole campus has a unique, vibrant feel and atmosphere. It’s all due to the values that everyone at CEME embraces, so that the campus really delivers on an inspirational environment for learning and business growth. 

Our values define how we work and what we do: 

• Inspire people to achieve more through learning fast 
• Being Inclusive, involving everyone regardless of who they are 
• We are Innovative, exploring new thinking that will change the world and how we live 
• Being Open and Honest, displaying the highest levels of integrity in all that we do

Opening Hours 

For information regarding opening hours and the times when we are closed for holidays, please consult our website: www.ceme.co.uk.

General Regulations 

In order to help us make CEME a welcoming place for you to work, train, visit and study, we ask you to read our Code of Conduct and ensure that you are familiar with it. Everyone who uses the CEME campus is expected to abide by this Code of Conduct and the associated Acceptable Use Policies, as it helps everybody enjoy their time with us and creates a welcoming environment for all users. 

We therefore ask our employees, tenants, workers, contractors, students and visitors to observe the following general rules:

• All visitors are asked to report to CEME Reception where we can assist you in contacting the person or group you have come to visit.
• CEME is a non-smoking/vaping facility. If you wish to smoke or vape, please do so in the designated outside covered smoking area, which is located adjacent to the main car park and an additional area at the rear of the Launchpad and identified on Campus maps. Smoking or vaping is not permitted in any other area, either inside or outside, on the entire Campus. 
• We ask that you take the time to read and observe any information notices placed around the building – they will help you get the most from the facility and inform you of specific procedures within the building. 
• When using CEME facilities we ask that you take the time to read and understand any associated Acceptable Use Policies and abide by their content – they will help you get the most from the facility and inform you of specific procedures that apply. 
• Please place all litter and unwanted items in the litter bins provided. For recycling purposes (paper, glass, cans), there are containers available throughout the Campus buildings.
• General waste will be collected from outside your office/workshop space on a daily basis, please ensure all waste is left outside your space after 1600hrs each day, for the domestic team to collect.
• The disposal of items outside general waste such as, metals, wood, WEEE waste, refrigerant gas, will need to be collected by CEME’s waste transferer, at additional cost. Please liaise with the Operations team for further information.
• Fan heaters, toasters, air fryers and hotplates are excluded from use on the CEME Campus.
• Due to Fire Risk Assessment prohibitions, the storage of electric scooters and bicycles on CEME campus is strictly prohibited, all items of this nature must be stored in an external location and not be brought inside the premises. 
• Under no circumstances, should electric vehicles (EV) be charged from any electrical point within CEME.  All EV charging should be completed at designated charging points located in the main car park opposite the lake.
• We have a designated parking area at CEME – cars, motorcycles and cycles must only be parked in the permitted places. Do not park in Disabled Parking Bays unless you have an appropriate certificate. Please comply with the 5-mph speed limit and security checks upon entering and leaving the parking areas. Storage and responsibility for contents and vehicles is at the owner’s risk. 
• Please keep noise to a reasonable level and be mindful of other Campus users at all times. Music must not be openly played on Campus unless for an authorised event.
• All tenants requiring a parking ticket will be required to purchase either through on-site machine or season tickets through Britannia’s Online Portal (https://www.britannia-parking.co.uk). To help protect car parking spaces for CEME tenants, Britannia will only process season ticket request, once they have confirmed with CEME management, that request is being made by a genuine CEME tenant.
• Not to house or keep upon the accommodation any dogs, cats, domestic pets, poultry, rabbits or other livestock or animal of any kind.  
• Campus users must refrain from running through corridors and also from misusing furniture or other facilities on site.
• Located in the café area, CEME have supplied coffee machines for use by tenants and visitors to CEME, under no circumstances should consumables such as, cups, sugars, syrups etc. be removed from this area without purchase.
• Please refrain from using offensive or abusive language on the Campus at all times, this behaviour will never be tolerated.
• The use of video, radio, photography or sound recording equipment is prohibited at all times while on campus, unless prior permission is granted by Head of Operations. Likewise, permission must also be gained before leaving or displaying any brochures, leaflets, posters, signage or other promotional or directional material. 
• Please ensure that all overalls or protective clothing required in the Workshop are sufficiently removed, before using any of the furniture in The Street or the Café area. 

Respect for Others 

We ask that all individuals be treated on their own merits, irrespective of race, religion, gender, age or any other factor. Regular users of the Campus should make themselves familiar with our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Policy and must conduct themselves in accordance with this at all times. You can find a copy of the policy on the CEME website. 

In line with our EDI Policy, we ask that you treat other users of CEME with courtesy and respect at all times. We do not tolerate racist, sexist or abusive behaviour; any behaviour which affects the dignity of those working, studying or visiting CEME may result in exclusion from the campus. 

Act in a respectful and appropriate way to members of staff and other users. Please comply with any requests or instructions issued by CEME staff in the event of an emergency. 

Security 

All guests, visitors, students and employees must display their ID at all times and show this to any member of CEME staff who requests to see it. CCTV recording equipment is in use throughout the Campus and will be operated and used in accordance with SIA CCTV Code of Practice. 

Please enter the Campus through the main public access doors or designated entry/exit doors only and do not enter any area designated for staff or private use. 

No CEME tools, IT or other equipment, workshop machinery or consumables may be removed from the premises without prior, formal authorisation from the relevant CEME department head. 

Please treat all equipment and facilities with care. Failure to do so may render the user(s) liable to replacement costs. 

Please ensure that when you leave a room you take all your personal belongings with you as we cannot be responsible for the property of third parties. 

If you notice that any of the equipment you have used in a training room, meeting room or elsewhere is faulty, we ask that you report this to your tutor, line manager or CEME Reception as quickly as possible. 

All Campus users are asked to comply with CEME’s dress code. This specifically excludes the wearing of caps, hoods and other articles that might from a security perspective obscure the face whilst on CEME premises – except for safety head wear which may be required in specified areas from time to time [e.g., cafeteria staff, workshops]. 

We remind you that the consumption of alcohol on the premises is not permitted, unless it is within the scope of a specific licence. Likewise, the consumption of illicit substances is strictly forbidden. You must refrain from coming to the campus while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other illegal substances. 

CEME Security Procedures for Students 

All students and employees must display their CEME ID cards at all times and show this to any member of CEME staff who requests to see it. CCTV recording equipment is in use throughout the Campus and will be operated and used in accordance with SIA CCTV Code of Practice. 

All students, and visitors must enter the Campus through the main public access doors or designated entry/exit doors only and do not enter any area designated for staff or private use. 

All CEME ID cards will be checked by Security or Reception Staff on entry to the Campus. 

Where a CEME ID badge is not made available to Security by a student, then Security will contact the tenant by phone to inform them. A record of the student forgetting their CEME ID badge will be made by Security. 

On permission from the tenant the student will be issued with an access pass, which they must display at all times and will be allowed access to the Campus. This process will only be followed on two occasions of a student forgetting their CEME ID badge, after which all subsequent occasions when that student does not have their CEME ID badge, Security will automatically refuse them entry to the Campus and will inform the tenant after the refusal. 

This procedure must be made clear to all students/tenants and is for the security and protection of all Campus users. This rule will not be deviated from, under any circumstances. 

Where a tenant has a visitor, the tenant should wherever possible inform either Security or CEME Reception of the names of all expected visitors to the Campus. 

All tenant visitors will be required to sign in at reception. 

The visitor will be announced to the tenant and a representative from the tenant must always come to the main CEME Reception to meet the visitor and take them to the office space where appropriate. This will both assist in terms of general site security and will also ensure the visitor does not get lost on the site. 

Health and Safety 

All Campus users must comply with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and all Campus policies, procedures and instructions given to them in this regard. 

All employees, workers, contractors and students working under the supervision of any CEME tenant or partner are in addition expected to comply with the tenant or partner’s specific regulations. 

All students working in the workshops must be accompanied by a lecturer at all times and the CEME tenant or partner has full responsibility for the safety of the students at all times while working in the workshops and their compliance with Health and Safety Legislation and the Workshop Safe Working Procedures. 

Every individual has a legal responsibility to be vigilant for their own and others’ safety and security whilst on Campus and we ask that you do not engage in any activity which causes a danger to you or others – in classrooms, training rooms, workshops and CEME facilities. 

Accidents and near misses must be reported immediately to the Departmental Manager concerned or to your host organisation and the CEME Operations team or Reception if you are unable to locate them. A record will be made in the Accident Book. 

Fire Safety in the Workplace

CEME will conduct two planned evacuations each year, in which all tenants must participate. This is a requirement under Fire Safety Reform 2005 and must be completed and recorded by CEME. 

Breach of this Code of Conduct 

We remind you that any wilful damage to property or facilities constitutes a breach of this Code of Conduct and will be treated as such. Any reparation or replacement costs incurred will be passed onto the individual or organisation in question. 

Anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and constitutes a breach of this Code of Conduct. Examples of anti-social behaviour include: spitting, swearing, the wearing of hoods/baseball caps while in-doors, depositing objects in the lake or surrounding area, wilful damage to CEME property, abusive or threatening behaviour; failure to comply with any reasonable instruction issued by CEME staff. 

In the event of a breach of this Code of Conduct, we will instigate a disciplinary procedure. For CEME employees, CEME partner or tenant employees and students this will be in line with the procedures laid down in their respective organisational handbooks. Breaches by visitors and guests will be dealt with directly by CEME Security. 

For serious breaches of this Code of Conduct, individuals may be excluded from CEME at the discretion of CEME management. For clarification, serious breaches include illegal activity, abusive behaviour and harassment of any other user, dangerous behaviour, wilful damage to property, unlicensed consumption of alcohol and smoking outside the designated area. Multiple lesser offences may also be considered a serious breach of conduct. 

CEME Campus Management reserve the right to restrict admission to any individual whom they consider to be in breach of this Code of Conduct. 

Right of Appeal 

Visitors, staff and students are entitled to appeal against any disciplinary decision taken against them. Any appeal against a disciplinary decision under this Code of Conduct must be in line with the individual organisation’s own grievance and appeals procedure or within two days of the event concerned. Details of how to lodge an appeal may be obtained from the CEME Receptionist. 

Complaints 

Students, staff and visitors have the right to complain if they feel they have been unfairly treated, discriminated against, have been subjected to unacceptable behaviour or bad language, or have a specific issue that they wish to draw to the attention of CEME management. If you wish to make a complaint, please contact our staff on the reception desk who will inform you how to do so.

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