Safety and Security
All students are subject to and responsible for adhering to Olin rules and regulations, including without limitation, Olin Community Expectations, fire safety expectations, Information Technology policies & procedures, campus policies and expectations, and other official Olin publications (see www.Olin.edu), and all state and federal laws, and understand that failure to do so may result in Olin taking action, as determined in its sole discretion, including but not limited to removal from the residence halls. Students who are required to leave the residence halls will not be eligible for a refund of any portion of the payment made for use of Olin housing.
Fire Safety
The College strictly enforces safety and fire regulations. Persons who are identified removing, destroying, or otherwise tampering with safety equipment will be subject to disciplinary actions. The Residence Halls and rooms are subject to inspection visits by the State Fire Marshall, often unannounced.
The residence halls are equipped with automated fire protection systems that are monitored 24 hours a day by Public Safety. Each room has an early detection smoke alarm, and the hallways are equipped with smoke detector units. Additionally, there are emergency pull stations in every hallway and fire extinguishers in the hallways and in every kitchen area. Students are permitted to have an ABC fire extinguisher. Training for fire extinguisher use is available through Public Safety. All persons shall immediately exit the building in a safe and orderly manner during a fire alarm.
Open and enclosed flames are prohibited within the residence halls. Candles, oil lamps, fireworks, blowtorches, incense, or any sources of open flame are not allowed in any part of the residence halls. Melting paraffin, or other flammable materials, is prohibited in the residence halls. Smoking and vaping is prohibited in all residence halls. Propane and gas-powered devices, such as grills or motorcycles, are not permitted for use or storage within the residence halls.
Storage or use of flammable fluids, such as lighter fluid or solvents, is prohibited. Secure storage space has been established in East Hall for storage of flammable liquids utilized by Student Organizations, contact the Director of Residence Life for details. The use of fog, smoke, or foam machines is prohibited.
Always treat the activation of the Fire Alarm system in the residence hall as a serious alert to evacuate the building. Periodic fire drills are required to be conducted in the residence halls during the academic year. When the alarm is sounded, all students must vacate the building and gather on the Great Lawn. Students may not return until instructed to do so by a college official.
In Advance
• Become familiar with fire equipment, fire exits, and evacuation procedures.
• Keep rooms and public areas free of fire hazards.
• Report all damaged or inoperable fire equipment to Public Safety at (781)239-5555.
• Participate in all fire drills in your residence hall.
In Case of Fire
• Sound the nearest campus alarm or activate the nearest emergency pull station. These are linked automatically with the Wellesley Fire Department and Public Safety.
• Use fire extinguishers only on small fires that are not spreading and never attempt to extinguish the fire if you are in jeopardy or feel uncomfortable doing so.
• When possible, shut windows, unlock and close doors, and leave the lights on.
• Alert other occupants on the way out, if possible.
• Keep the driveways clear and stay at least 100 feet from the building.
• Do not re-enter the building until it has been cleared by the Fire Department.
Prevention
• Do not overload electrical circuits and only use electrical devices that meet OSHA recognized safety standards (such as UL, CSA, or CSPC)
• Do not use any open flame, smoke emitting, or flammable fluid devices indoors.
• Extinguish all smoking material before disposing of it in a nonflammable container.
• Storage of combustible items is prohibited in all exit ways. Blocked exits have caused "chain reaction" pile ups of fallen people during emergencies.
• Flammable liquid storage of any kind is prohibited
• Flammable gas or liquid storage in or near a residence hall is prohibited.
• Never prop open a door.
• Never tamper with or damage door hardware or door lock/safety equipment including warning alarms.
Electrical Safety
All electrical devices must meet OSHA recognized safety standards (such as UL, CSA, or CSPC) and be labeled as such and shall be used in accordance with the listing limitations and manufacturers instructions. The use of extension cords is prohibited within the residence halls, only OSHA recognized safety standards (such as UL, CSA, or CSPC) listed power strips with built in circuit breaker is approved for augmenting provided electrical outlets.
Do not modify or tamer with electrical or lighting fixtures. Do not overload electrical outlets. If repairs need to be made, file a work order with facilities or call public safety if the situation is urgent.
Lithium Battery Safety
Lithium battery fires have skyrocketed within the United States and have become a real problem for not only firefighters but to sleeping occupants. You will find these rechargeable batteries in small capacities, like phones, laptops, and tablets, as well as larger capacities such as E-Bikes and Electric Scooters. Residents may have a maximum of 8 grams total lithium metal batteries and no more than 1000 Watts per battery for lithium-ion batteries. All batteries and related devices must be certified by an OSHA recognized safety standard organization (such as UL, CSA, or CSPC) and only used and stored in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. Seek out instructions on the proper charging, replacement battery, and charging cord/power adaptor for your devices. Charge batteries directly from wall outlets and keep devices room temperature/away from heat sources.
Never leave larger batteries like those in e-bikes or e-scooters unattended while charging or to charge overnight; be sure to leave a path of egress between you and the charging device should fire occur. Never charge any rechargeable device on your bed, under your pillow, or on a couch. Never overcharge batteries and always use the appropriate charger/power adaptors. If a battery or device is very hot, damaged or unstable remove them from the residence hall immediately and properly recycle the battery if it is safe to do so or contact public safety for their assistance is resolving the hazard.
Students shall not dismantle or undertake repairs to any type of battery within the residence halls. No electrical and battery-operated projects shall be used or stored within the residence halls. Work with faculty and shop staff to assure safe learning.
Doors, Locks, & Lockouts
Exterior and hallway doors are secured for the safety of residents and their belongings. Propping and/or tampering with doors or locks to prevent them from closing securely is prohibited. Residents are not permitted to tamper with locks or add private locks or security devices to their rooms/suites or to any part of the building. Wiring shall never be added to or run under/around doors. The outside of a room door is considered part of the hallway or common area and, as such, subject to the posting regulations for residence halls as displayed in each residence hall.
At move-in all students receive a room key and an Olin ID card. The Olin ID card also serves as the proximity access cards for hall entrances equipped with proximity access card readers. If you lose your ID card or key, you must report the loss immediately, Residence Life oversees key distribution while IT oversees ID card production. If it is your room key that is lost, your lock will be changed, you will receive a key for the new lock and assessed a replacement fee for the key and lock replacement. If an ID card is lost, it is replaced, and a replacement fee is assessed. Failure to return your key during move out or upon departure from the campus will result in a fee. For safety reasons, keys should always be kept in your possession and should not be left in locks. Keys found left in locks will be collected and treated as a “lost key.” You should never give your keys or IDs to anyone else.
Students who are locked out of their room should contact the Resident Resource (R2) on duty; students may also call Public Safety Department if an R2 is unavailable. An R2 or Public Safety Officer may check your ID and let you in. Only Residence Life staff, and Public Safety staff will let you in; custodians are instructed not to open locked doors for students. Students who habitually lock themselves out may be assessed for a lost key charge and/or asked to meet with Residence Life staff to develop a key management plan.
In the rare event, such as for a passport or keys, students may request to give another student supervised access to their room. To do so, the resident student must email a written, detailed request from their Olin email address to the ResLife@olin.edu email and then call the R2 On Call for access. The R2 will need permission from the Administrator On Call who will then supervise the pickup of the item detailed in the access request.
Right To Entry & Emergency Personnel
Olin reserves the right to enter Olin housing, including the residence halls, common areas, suites, and individual rooms assigned to students, for verification of occupancy; for performance of housekeeping, maintenance and repairs functions; to respond to, address or investigate suspicion of activity that may be illegal or that may be in violation of any College rule, regulation, or policy; for safety, health or sanitary reasons; and in any other situation when Olin deems entry necessary to address the welfare or interests of a student or the Olin community. Items that pose a safety threat or policy violation may be confiscated by Public Safety or Residence Life staff. Items that are not expressly illegal may be returned to the student upon departure from campus. Confiscated items not collected by the time of move-out will be discarded as abandoned property.
The College values the role and contributions of fire, emergency responders, and law enforcement personnel. Fire, emergency responders, and law enforcement personnel will be provided access to enter the residence halls and students’ assigned suites and rooms in Olin housing to respond matters of personal or public health and safety. The residence halls and individually assigned suites and rooms are subject to fire/smoke/CO alarms, periodic fire safety inspection visits, and access by fire, emergency responders and law enforcement personnel, including entry into individual rooms and suites. Without limiting the above, the College strictly enforces safety and fire regulations. Persons who are identified removing, destroying, or otherwise tampering with safety equipment will be subject to disciplinary actions.
Personal Insurance
Olin recommends that all students purchase (at their own expense) personal insurance to cover their personal belongings prior to their move-in to Olin housing and that they take steps to safeguard their personal property.