Before Arrival

Please be aware of the following issues before arriving at PSI:

New users at PSI are asked to register with the Digital User Office (DUO). This has to be done only once via the web. As some of the necessary steps may take some time it is strongly recommended to register already from your home institution well in advance before arriving at the facility.

Please urgently keep the necessary deadlines to apply for your badge/dosimeter via the DUO system. Otherwise you take the risk that your experiment cannot be performed because of a missing working permit.

External users of the PSI facilities must take out their own illness and accident insurance (e.g. through travel insurance when not insured through your home Institute or employer). They are not entitled to insurance or social security benefits from PSI.

Please note the shipping instructions and import guidelines. to avoid custom difficulties. If applicable please in particular have a look at our guidelines for the transport of radioactive samples to and from PSI.

Together with your DUO badge order you can submit a request to order a room in the PSI guesthouse for the duration of your stay ay PSI. Alternatively you can contact the guesthouse reception directly per email or phone (PSI-3222). Please note that the guesthouse capacity is quite limited. Therefore try to book your room as early as possible. If there is no more room available in the guesthouse we will be glad to provide you with a list of nearby hotels.

Please note that each visitor has to apply personally for his own badge/dosimeter by DUO. It is not possible to order a badge for your colleagues. Please order the badges as early as possible to give us enough time for the necessary formalities.

Badge

Each person on site at PSI is expected to have a badge, which is needed for various purposes:

  • It is needed to pass the gates of either PSI West or PSI East and the facility entrance doors during off hours.
  • It allows to open the doors of the hutches at the respective beamline (see badge request form).
  • It can be charged at the money station at the PSI Time Out cafeteria or OASE restaurant. Such a badge can then be used to buy drinks, snacks, micro-wave food at the Time Out cafeteria (24h/d, 7d/w), Oase restaurant and vending machines.

Upon leaving PSI, just put the badge and/or dosimeter into the return box on the left side of the gate PSI West.

Note for PSI staff performing experiments at SLS:
Also permanent PSI staff users must apply for badge and dosimeter since your 'normal' PSI badge may not be appropriate. By default, it is not possible to open the SLS beamline hutches with a normal badge. This is enabled only via a badge obtained from the DUO. PSI staff members are asked to request the badge and dosimeter at least 8 working hours in advance via the DUO.

Dosimeter

PSI has several radiation-controlled areas. Users are required to carry a dosimeter there. Following your registration through your DUO account, we will provide you with a personal dosimeter for your stay. For more details on how to pick up your dosimeter, you will be informed by email.

PSI User Office
Paul Scherrer Institute
building WBBC
CH-5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

+41 56 310 46 66
useroffice@psi.ch

Office hours:
Monday through Friday from 8:00-11:30 and 12:30-17:00
otherwise please contact us per email