People are watching out for each other. And they’re doing it from all over the Lab - so say the Safety Spot Award program's end-of-FY12 numbers.Participation in the program spread to 20 LBNL divisions/organizations and there were so many winners this past year that all $6,000 in prizes was exhausted. Do this many awards mean the Lab is becoming a dangerous place? “Quite the contrary,” says Andrew Peterson, Award Program Manager. “More people are aware of the program and care enough about the safety of their colleagues to nominate the deeds of those who go the extra mile.” Safety Spot winners from FY12 forward will be receiving the new Safety Is Elemental pin, which is given in appreciation to those whose efforts continue to integrate safe practices into activities at work and beyond. Click here to nominate a colleague or view current and past Safety Spot Award winners.
Why is your colleague wearing a pin emblazoned with a Periodic Table-esque “Sf”? Did somebody discover a new element and not send you the memo? Have the worlds of fashion and science merged while you weren’t looking?Worry not. The pins are part of the Lab’s Safety Culture Initiative and are given to colleagues who have demonstrated a strong commitment to safety.
Your division safety coordinator, the one who’s always encouraging you to incorporate safety into your working and personal lives, they have one of the pins. The Safety Spot Award winners who noticed something wasn’t right and took the extra step to correct it, they have one as well. And the brass pin can be found on top brass who make safety a priority in all lab policies and procedures.
The “Safety is Elemental” slogan and icon were created after a Lab-wide survey two years ago called for methods to best address key safety culture issues and developments. The pin recognizes the efforts of its wearers---those who represent a willingness to improve an already successful safety culture at LBNL.
Safety Culture includes every worker at the Laboratory and involves mutual trust, shared attitudes about the vital importance of safety, and belief in our institutional preventative measures.
Safety Culture Status Report to DSC Meeting on Sept 14.pptx Date: 9-14-2012
Download this presentation here
A lot of thought went into a little logo. Safety Is Elemental, a phrase and logo concept chosen from more than 150 entries, captures the spirit of the strong safety culture at the Laboratory. Deputy Lab Director Horst Simon (center) sent a Level-One email in February asking staff to come up with memorable phrases. Liz Moxon (left) and Lori Tamura of the Advanced Light Source Communications Group put their creative heads together and came up with the winner.
“We thought the word ‘elemental’ resonated with current and historic research at the Lab,” they said. While they were tinkering with the phrase “safety element” Moxon suggested they tie in a graphic element. This trigger prompted Tamura to think of the Periodic Table of Elements.
After a little more fine-tuning, the two came up not only with the winning phrase, Safety Is Elemental, but an accompanying graphic. Fortunately “Sf” wasn’t taken on the Periodic Table, which allowed the concept to work. The two had to decide what the two numbers associated with an actual element — the atomic number and atomic mass — would represent the Safety Element in the graphic. The 13 in the upper-left corner represents the number of Nobel Laureates awarded from their research at LBNL, and the adjacent 4,200 the amount of Lab employees. The new icon and slogan will be used in communications related to safety culture at the Lab.
You may notice something new at your feet as you wait for a Berkeley Lab shuttle bus. All around the Lab, brightly painted signs on the pavement remind riders to “Buckle-Up!” while riding the shuttles. Soon you’ll see posters and stickers--part of a new EH&S campaign reminding riders to use seat belts on the shuttles.
A tragic collision in San Francisco last year, in which a passenger was killed after being thrown from a UCSF shuttle bus, underscores the importance of wearing a seat belt. While that shuttle did not have seat belts, all Berkeley Lab shuttles do, and you are asked to “click it” while on board. For tips on traveling around the Lab – whether on foot, by bike, in a car, or on the shuttle – check out the new “Ride Safely” Web site. While you’re there, complete the EH&S shuttle seat-belt survey and you’ll be automatically entered in a drawing to win one of 25 Bay View Café coupons (worth $8). EH&S encourages everyone to think of safety first as you move around the Lab.
Two recent incidents at the Lab involved a critical bolt fastener coming loose and falling out of an Aeron chair (mesh fabric). Go here to see what an Aeron chair looks like and the location of the assembly defect, then fill out this form. A manufacturer’s representive will onsite next week to inspect all Aeron chairs. Do not use the chair if unsure about its functionality. Contact Ira Janowitz (x6071) for more information.
Aundra Richards of the DOE Berkeley Site Office presented awards to the members of the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee, recognizing their efforts in hosting the Lab’s recent Traffic and Road Safety Fair. Awardees include (from l-r, front row), Betsy MacGowan, Marie Butson, Edith Perry, Richard DeBusk, and Tennessee Gock. Members not pictured are James Basore and Ann Tomaselli.
Not obeying traffic laws can come at a price, as attendees of the Road Safety Day event on June 27 learned. Just how much does running a stop sign at the Lab, which is patrolled by UC Police, cost? That will cost you $234, the same amount for not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks. Go here to see a list of other common traffic fines. Be careful, traffic laws are the same on Lab premises as they are off.
