Terms & Conditions

Each time you make a booking on SiSo you must agree to the terms and conditions of booking which are listed below. Once you collect a booking you are bound by these terms and conditions.

You are required to read the Technical Resources Centre handbook which is considered to be part of these terms and conditions. This is available on the Faculty of Arts, Design and Social Sciences SiSo website or you can request a copy from the Technical Resources Centre.

Items will only be loaned to named individuals who are registered and activated on the SiSo online booking system.

Items will only be released from the Technical Resources Centre on production of a valid student or staff ID card. The equipment is the responsibility of the individual who signs for it. You may not take out items on behalf of others.

Bookings must be made online using the SiSo booking system. Bookings requested at the counter or by email will be carried out at the discretion of the Technical Resources Centre staff. The technical staff will take no responsibility for any errors in this type of booking and it is the user’s responsibility to check the details once the booking is made.

The maximum loan period for the vast majority of equipment is five consecutive days. Some items may be less than this. Room and facility booking duration's vary. Please consult the SiSo website for more information. In the interests of fair usage you may not place back to back bookings. These will be removed from the system by Technical Resources Centre staff.

Extensions to bookings are at the discretion of the Technical Resources Centre staff and cannot be just assumed or guaranteed.

Requests for extensions for assessment or degree show must be done prior to collection.

Items must be collected within 2 hours of the collection time and returned before the return time specified on your booking (rooms and facilities cancel after 1 hour)– you will need to check the details on your SiSo account for these times and dates. Failure to comply with these conditions may result in a penalty and withdrawal of your equipment privileges.

Penalties will be issued automatically by the SiSo system if you do not collect or return the item on time. If these penalties include charges, details of these charges can be found by clicking the info button next to the item on the website.

You must ensure that all items are returned in the condition they are loaned. For example tripod plates must not be left on cameras, cables must be coiled properly. If items are returned in a poorly packed state, wet or dirty, you will be asked to repack the equipment, dry or clean it. If this is undertaken by the Technical Resources Centre you will be charged a cleaning fee.

The Technical Resources Centre staff reserve the right to suspend user/group access to any equipment if it is not returned in a fit state or shows signs of misuse. Access to this equipment will be reinstated once the user/group has attended a retraining session.

It is your responsibility to check the condition of all items at the time of collection. Any missing items, damage to kit or non-working kit must be reported before leaving the Technical Resources Centre. Once any items leave the Technical Resources Centre, you become liable for the repair or replacement costs if they are lost, damaged or stolen – you must make sure that everything listed on the tag is in the bag before you leave the Technical Resources Centre. Upon return to the Technical Resources Centre we aim to check all items immediately on return. During busy periods this is sometimes not possible. You will be notified within 7 days if we discover any missing items or damage.

Items are issued in protective cases or bags. It is advised that all items are transported within these cases or bags. The user will take full responsibility for any damage or loss of equipment when not transported within these cases or bags.

Items must be returned to the Technical Resources Centre in the original and correct case or bag.

If the user chooses to transport items without the provided cases or bags the Technical Resources Centre will not store the empty cases or bags except when equipment is being used for an extended period for assessments.

All repair and replacement costs will be quoted on a case-by-case basis. These charges will be to cover the repair or replacement costs. Faults that are discovered or damage incurred while you are in possession of items must be reported to the Technical Resources Centre within 24hr.

You will not be able to borrow equipment until you have paid any penalties on your account. Any lost or damaged equipment taken out for teaching purposes will be charged to that department.

The faculty’s insurance policy does not cover student use of equipment outside the UK so you will be required to secure and pay for your own public liability and equipment insurance which must list the equipment that you are borrowing comprehensively. You will be fully liable for any damage and loss of any equipment, and in the event of any damage or loss the equipment must be either repaired or replaced within two weeks of your return date. It should be noted that camera equipment must be carried as hand luggage and cannot be put into the baggage hold. You may also want to seek advice from customs and excise regarding equipment leaving and entering the country.

You should plan and request the equipment at least 4 weeks before you are due to travel. If confirmed you will be required to complete your insurance documentation and a full Risk Assessment and supply this one-week before travel. If the documentation is not acceptable you will not be able to take the equipment. If your trip is deemed too risky or is at a time when equipment is in high demand your request will be declined.

Stolen items must be reported to the Technical Resources Centre and the police within 24hr. The police will issue you with a crime number which you must pass onto the Technical Resources Centre.

You must not use the equipment/ facilities in a way that breaches any Northumbria University guidelines, policies, regulations or that brings Northumbria University into disrepute.

Student/Staff users are not permitted to use equipment for profit/commercial or private use.

Any keys/fobs/access cards that are checked out from the Technical Resources Centre will be subject to a £10 charge for loss or non return.

There are times when we may need to place items into maintenance. Whether this is routine or because it has been returned faulty you will be notified by SiSo if it affects your booking. If an item is removed from your booking because of this we will endeavor to offer an alternative but this may not always be possible.

Some items may contain tracking devices which are used to locate equipment in the event of loss or non-return.

You are forbidden from installing, modifying or altering any software or firmware on equipment. E.g. Magic Lantern firmware on Canon cameras.

You are also forbidden from altering any wardrobe or prop items without express permission.

As memory cards can be used with a variety of devices we strongly recommend that you format cards in you chosen equipment prior to use. It is the user’s responsibility to check equipment settings and ensure equipment is set-up to record in the correct format.

Please ensure that all data from memory cards has been backed up before returning to the Technical Resources Centre, preferably to 2 drive locations on and off campus. If backing up to faculty media servers such as the Avid ISIS or DDP please be aware that whilst procedures have been put in place to prevent against data loss and corruption on these systems, the university will not be held responsible for any data loss or corruption that occurs on the ISIS, DDP or memory cards. If you need help with backing up, please refer to the help videos on the SISO website.

Due to the volume of memory cards we stock we are unable to wipe cards. It is therefore the user’s responsibility to format cards loaned from the Technical Resources Centre before return.

All laptops and iPads loaned by staff are wiped upon return. If you have installed any specific apps/software on pool use iPads/laptops you wish to be left on, you must inform Technical Resources Centre staff. This cannot be guaranteed.

Any items that are submitted to the Technical Resources Centre for PAT testing are expected to be in good working order. Usual turnaround time for items to be tested will be 24hrs except during busy periods when this may be extended to 48hrs. The Technical Resources Centre will accept no responsibility for any damage caused during testing due to failure of the item. It is the users responsibility to ensure PAT tests are up to date on their own equipment and if a test is needed it is submitted to the Technical Resources Centre in plenty of time.

You are required to complete a Risk Assessment whenever booking equipment. This needs to be completed before collecting equipment via the Risk Assessment page in SiSo. The completion of a Risk Assessment does not absolve you from your liabilities and responsibilities under UK law. By completing the Risk Assessment you are confirming that you have assessed all the risks involved in your activity as far as possible and will take any and all measures to eliminate and manage any risks present, or which may subsequently arise, whilst involved in producing work using Northumbria University’s equipment. You confirm that you have discussed your activity and risks with your tutor and accept full legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety of all persons affected by your actions and the actions of those directly and indirectly involved.

All students are provided with advice on working safely when undertaking manual handling. You are required to follow this advice whenever undertaking project work for Northumbria University to ensure your own safety and others working with you.

The item is for the sole use of the person making the booking. Under no circumstances must you swap or lend items with another student without informing the Technical Resources Centre first.

When you make a booking you will be required to check a box stating that you have read and understood these terms and conditions and agree to adhere to them. When you complete a Risk Assessment by clicking ‘Save’ at the end you are again agreeing to the terms and conditions of booking.

There is a 24hr grace period prior to overdue charges starting. This is to allow for locker returns and time for you to contact us if you have unexpectedly been unable to return items at the agreed time.

The first overdue charge will be applied 24hrs after the original return time and your account suspended.

This charge will increase every 24hrs for 10 days until one of these two criteria are met.

Overdue charges are split into tiers depending on the value of the kit and the impact of being overdue. When a booking contains items from different tiers the highest tier will be used by smarthub as the basis for the charge.

Ad-hoc items added to a booking at the counter are treated by the system as a separate booking and will incur their own charge if overdue.

For group bookings the charge will be applied to the account of the person who made the booking.

It will then be the responsibility of the group to agree between themselves how to split the charge.

If you believe you have been wrongly charged contact the TRC directly in the first instance.

If it cannot be resolved directly with the TRC there is a robust appeals process in place. Details of this can be found in the TRC Handbook.

To see the overdue charges associated with an item click the information icon next to it on the booking screen and scroll down to the bottom of the window that opens

On top of the usual smarthub notifications you will receive a notification on suspension of your account when a charge is applied.

We will also be introducing a cleaning charge. If equipment or bags are returned dirty you will be given the option to take them away and clean them yourself or hand them back as is and a £10 cleaning charge applied to your account.

It is recognised that there could be times when Students may wish to appeal fines based on their personal circumstance, or where equipment may have been lost, stolen or damaged.

It is expected most appeals can be resolved at the TRC counter. Should a student still wish to appeal the charges then the student will be requested to fill in an incident form and provide supplementary information for go forward to the TRC Appeals Committee for a decision. The TRC Appeals committee will meet monthly. Each student case will be reviewed in the committee and a decision made based on the processes laid out below. The committee’s decision will be final and based on the information provided by the student. The committee will take the information on face value and will not investigate the case further unless deemed completely necessary, for example if an item is stolen and getting a police crime number has been mentioned in the incident report but not provided as proof.

Student will be charged fines up until the maximum amount until the report is made if this is after the return threshold

Student will be charged fines until the report is made if this is after the return threshold

Replacement cost removed if item found and in expected condition before purchase of new equipment is made. Late fees still charged if applicable

Student will be charged fines until the report is made if this is after the return threshold

Student will be charged fines until the damaged item is returned if this is after the return threshold

We will not tolerate rude, threatening or unreasonable behavior towards our staff, other students or visitors.

Technical Resources Centre opening hours are published on the SiSo website, the door to the Technical Resources Centre in Squires and CCE2, faculty Onelan screens, Technical Resources Centre Facebook page and the Technical Resources Centre Handbook. On occasion these can change and any changes will be published on the website and Facebook page.

Up to date insurance information can be found here https://orb.northumbria.ac.uk/fadss/uploads/documents/insurancec_1473947606.pdf or by contacting Ann Hudson.

The list of items available to you is viewable on SiSo. Some equipment may be restricted to specific courses.

We cannot guarantee the availability of all equipment over the summer months as equipment maintenance and testing is required during this period.

If you have an issue to raise regarding the Technical Resources Centre you can e-mail us

It is important to raise any issues (positive or negative) with your student representative or course leader, as they will attend various group meetings where they will be able to raise your comments or issues.

Student will be charged fines up until the maximum amount until the report is made if this is after the return threshold

-Sickness - with confirmation of sickness from students academic supervisor) - Late fees waived

-Other (eg Foreseen Transport issues, failings within group work) - Late fees stand up to the maximum amount

Student Malpractice identified - Student charged late fees up to the maximum amount

smarthub terms and conditions of use
As a user of this system registered or otherwise you agree that if for any reason you are unable to use smarthub for the intended purpose then you will contact your store via telephone, email or in person to resolve the problem. SiSo Software Limited are not responsible or liable in any way for any errors, damages or any other loss caused by your usage of this system. For the avoidance of doubt this includes any loss howsoever suffered including negligence or fraud except where such negligence causes death or personal injury.