Company Emergency Response (CER) team

What is a Company Emergency Response (CER) officer? 

The Dutch Working Conditions Act stipulates that all businesses and organisations must train employees to act as Company Emergency Response (CER) officers. The UvA therefore has a number of staff members who are well-trained and practised in providing help in case of an incident or unsafe situation within the organisation. The CER officers have been trained to: 

• provide first aid; 
• contain and fight fire as soon as it breaks out; 
• evacuate the building during an emergency if necessary; 
• raise the alarm and communicate with colleagues and emergency services. 

Apart from CER officers, the Company Emergency Response team is made up of first aiders, CER team leaders and specialised CER officers, such as breathing apparatus operators. 

CER materials in UvA buildings 

• fire hose reels and small fire extinguishers 
• first aid kit 
• Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) 
• evacuation tools 
• communication tools 

These CER materials can be found at central locations in the building and are present in sufficient quantities.