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Title:	Technical Area Designation Policy
Publication date:	2/21/2014
Effective date:	2/21/2014

BRIEF

Policy Summary

Technical Area Designation is intended to facilitate communication between the technical area contact person (e.g., area safety leader, facility manager, lab lead PI, work lead) and non-resident worker(s), regarding hazards that are associated within the workplace operation(s)/experiment(s) (i.e., not building/facility infrastructure).

Who Should Read This Policy

Berkeley Lab employees and affiliates who have been identified by their division as the technical area contact person

To Read the Full Policy, Go To:

The POLICY tab on this wiki page

Contact Information

EHS Technical Program Deputy

Title:	Technical Area Designation Policy
Publication date:	2/21/2014
Effective date:	2/21/2014

POLICY

A. Purpose

Technical Area Designation is intended to facilitate communication between the technical area contact person (e.g., area safety leader, facility manager, lab lead PI, work lead) and non-resident worker(s) regarding hazards that are associated within the workplace operation(s)/experiment(s) (i.e., not building/facility infrastructure).

B. Persons Affected

Berkeley Lab employees and affiliates who have been identified by their division as the technical area contact person

C. Exceptions

There are no exceptions to this policy. All divisions must maintain a current list of all hazardous technical areas and contact persons for those technical areas.

D. Policy Statement

Divisions must identify technical areas in which work environment hazards exist that could potentially adversely affect worker health or safety (e.g., result in worker injury or sickness) if there is a potential for a worker to be exposed to hazards, which include radiological, chemical, industrial, biological, and other types of hazards. Divisions must identify a contact person and backup for each technical area designated as hazardous. The contact person must have sufficient knowledge of hazards and controls associated with the operation(s)/experiment(s) (i.e., not hazards and controls associated with the building/facility infrastructure) within the area to communicate those hazards and controls to non-resident workers. Divisions must maintain technical area location and contact person information in an accessible technical area institutional database.

The Technical Area Designation process is intended to facilitate communication between the technical area contact person (e.g., area safety leader, facility manager, lab lead PI, work lead) and non-resident workers coming into that area to carry out assigned work. The primary purpose is to facilitate the technical area contact person's communication with non-resident workers of hazards and controls associated with operations/processes/experiments (not including those associated with building/facility infrastructure) carried out in the technical area. A second purpose is to facilitate communication between the technical area contact person and non-resident workers to ensure the integrity of processes, experiments, and equipment in the technical area.

D.1 Division-Specific Requirements

Divisions providing services performed by non-resident workers will have access to technical area location and contact person information. Divisions incorporate technical area information into their work planning and control following a risk-based approach. Before its workers enter a technical area, a division may require that the division assigned to that location release the space for the work scope performed by the non-resident workers (e.g., Facilities Division Work Order process).

E. Roles and Responsibilities

Role	Responsibilities
Technical area contact person	Maintains sufficient knowledge of hazards associated with the technical area's operation(s)/experiment(s) (i.e., not building/facility infrastructure) to communicate those hazards with non-resident worker(s)
Division directors	Ensure all spaces assigned to that division are evaluated for hazards and technical area designation Ensure all division hazardous technical areas are identified and current in the institutional technical area database Ensure that a contact person is assigned for each hazardous technical area and identified in the technical area institutional database
Facilities Division Director	Maintains institutional software, procedures, and other support tools necessary for divisions to maintain technical area and technical area contact person information in the institutional technical area database

F. Definitions/Acronyms

Term	Definition
Technical areas	Technical areas generally include laboratories, shops, workrooms, and similar areas. Offices, conference rooms, food preparation, and consumption areas such as the cafeteria, kitchenettes, and break rooms are generally not technical areas.
Technical area contact person	The individual assigned by the division who has sufficient knowledge of hazards associated with the technical area's operation(s)/experiment(s) (i.e., not building/facility infrastructure) to communicate those hazards with non-resident worker(s). The technical area contact person may also be an area safety leader, manager, supervisor, or work lead.
Worker – resident	A resident worker is one performing work in a space under the control of the worker's work lead. A matrixed employee working in the host division technical area is generally considered a resident worker since that worker typically receives daily direction from the host group, department, or division.
Worker – non-resident	A non-resident worker is one performing work in a space not under the control of the worker's work lead.
Work lead	A work lead is anyone who directs, trains, and/or oversees the work and activities of one or more workers. Work leads provide instruction on working safely and the precautions necessary to use equipment and facilities safely and effectively. Work leads do not need to be line managers, HEERA-designated supervisors, or Berkeley Lab employees.
Work release	An approval for a non-resident worker to access and perform work in a Berkeley Lab space

G. Recordkeeping Requirements

None

H. Implementing Documents

Technical Area Designation / Facilities Work Release System

I. Contact Information