Physics Division
Integrated Safety Management Plan
Revised 12/16/08
Introduction
The Physics Division has a multifaceted Environment, Health and Safety (ES&H) Program that includes policies, procedures and activities that insure compliance with Laboratory requirements. This Integrated Safety Management Plan (ISM) outlines the primary features of the Division’s program and follows the Guiding Principles and implements the Core Safety Functions of the ISMS program at the Laboratory (see Appendix). Physics is committed to performing safe work in a manner that ensures adequate protection for employees, guests, the general public, Lab assets, and the environment. The Division program applies to all staff, students and guests.
ISM Implementation
The Physics ISM Plan incorporates the seven guiding principles and five core functions of ISM for improving safety in the workplace (See Appendix A.) The ISM Plan establishes a fundamental management strategy to ensure that all work is carried out in a safe manner consistent with appropriate institutional and divisional EH&S policies and procedures. The plan covers all Physics Division employees and guests, including students, regardless of work location. Work at the U.C. campus will conform to the LBL-UC Partnership agreement. The Physics ISM plan incorporates the LBNL ISM plan and Health & Safety Manual (PUB-3000) by reference. All work performed by Physics staff must conform to the requirements in the PUB-3000 and the LBNL ISM plan.
The Division plan is discussed annually at a mandatory All-Hands meeting on EH&S and can be read on the Division Web site. Changes in policy, lessons learned and other information are transmitted by e-mail, at group meetings and by members of the EH&S Committees.
Accountability
The Division Director is responsible for insuring that the Division adheres to the principles of the Lab’s ISM plan and complies with all Laboratory policies and procedures. In order to accomplish this end the following conditions are defined for Division personnel.
Line staff, defined in the Division as Project Heads and Group Leaders, and other supervisors are responsible for:
- assuring qualifications and appropriate training status of Division staff and guests
- communicating EH&S information to all
- establishing administrative and engineering controls to prevent exposures
- identifying deficiencies and developing corrective actions as needed
- conducting walkthroughs of their area of responsibility often and documenting these inspections at least 4 times a year
and for insuring that, overall, the Core Functions are carried out in their projects. Procedures and tools are available to assist them. See the Division website for walkthrough documents, Group Leader responsibilities and for a listing of lab space used by Division personnel along with the name of the person responsible for each lab space listed.
Individual staff members and guests also have identified responsibilities including adhering to the principles of the Lab’s ISM plan, taking the Job Hazard Analysis annually if required, and completing training identified by their supervisor. General responsibilities are addressed each year in a mandatory All-Hands meeting and specifics are identified in project or administrative meetings and reviewed during the Laboratory’s performance appraisal process.
Funding
Except in special circumstances all EH&S costs are covered by the staff member’s Project, and integrated into the Project budget.
ES&H Coordinator
The Physics Division EH&S Coordinator is the programmatic lead for EH&S with responsibilities including:
- creating and implementing systems, programs and procedures in the areas of
- hazard identification and control
- self-assessment and corrective action
- quality assurance
- training assessment, tracking and presentation
- documentation
- communicating lessons learned
- participation on the Division EH&S Committee
- promoting the principles of the Division’s ISM plan and the Lab’s ISM plan.
ES&H Committee
The Division Director appoints an EH&S Committee, which includes staff scientists, senior scientists, technical and administrative staff, meets monthly, and serves the following functions:
- recommending policies and procedures to the Division Director
- reviewing all new and revised activities
- determining acceptable level of hazard mitigation and documentation for activities
- furthering communication on safety issues inside and outside the Division
- identifying safety needs in the areas of policy, procedure, equipment, training
- participating in self-assessment activities and root cause analyses
- tracking and trending
One member of the Division EH&S Committee serves as the Division’s representative on the Laboratory Safety Review Committee.
Technical staff may be assigned as Work Leads or Laboratory Managers. They have responsibilities, in their labs, similar to Project Leaders for their projects. These include: hazard communication, on-the-job training, documentation, inspection, corrective action. The Lab Managers provide significant hands-on EH&S work for the Division. EH&S Leads may also be appointed with similar responsibilities.
Scope of Work
The Physics Division's principal activity is research in theoretical and experimental high energy physics and astrophysics aimed at understanding the basic forces and constituents of matter and the universe. This activity incorporates the development of sophisticated detectors to carry out that research. The Division also includes the Particle Data Group, whose compilation and evaluation of particle physics data serves the worldwide high energy physics community. The Division also offers opportunities for graduate training and sponsors summer undergraduate programs. The Division participates in collaborative projects with industry to advance the state of the art and improve the performance of equipment. Work is carried out at the LBNL site, at other national laboratories or international facilities. In order to define the requirements and boundaries within which to carry out these activities without harmful exposures to personnel, property or the community, the Division has a well-defined review process. Planning for health, safety and environmental concerns begins with the FWP process and once funded, the activities must be authorized.
Work Planning Authorization
It is a standard expectation to address EH&S issues in the planning stages of projects. Work is then authorized in the following ways. The essential activity is Project Review. The Head or Leader (or sub-group leader) or Lab Manager completes the Division’s Work Group Hazard Analysis in the Job Hazard Analysis database or the augmented Laboratory Hazard Input Form (HEAR) for each new or revised project or activity. In some cases, a visit to the location of the project is carried out by the Safety Committee or the Safety Coordinator. The Committee may ask for more detailed documentation, even if an AHD is not required. Experts from the EH&S Division may be involved. SSAs and RWAs are also reviewed by the Coordinator and the Committee to insure that appropriate procedures, as well as the “authorization”, are in place. Work does not begin until the project or activity is approved by the EH&S Committee.
Work Performance
Staff and guests are initially selected based on their knowledge, skills and experience. While they are at the Laboratory or at off-site assignments, the Division will ensure that they have all training germane to their activities. The Division will determine the training status of all staff and guests. Using the Job Hazard Analysis/Training Profile and other aids, such as training records from other institutions, the supervisor will determine the type and level of training required, e.g. course, challenge examination, and will also identify and provide on-the-job, hazard specific training for each activity. Lab and shop managers are also responsible for on-the-job-training in their respective areas. For example, student training will be provided in the shop. The EH&S Committee may determine training policies for particular groups of Division staff. The EH&S Coordinator correlates HEAR Forms and JHAs. Employees and guests will work under direct supervision until appropriate training is completed.
Safety for Division personnel working off-site is discussed on the Division website.
Feedback and Improvement
The Division’s primary method of evaluating whether the program is functioning is self-assessment. A separate plan of inspections and periodic management reviews based on Laboratory and Division metrics is developed in accordance with the Laboratory Self-Assessment Program Objectives and Criteria. Members of self-assessment teams may be drawn from the EH&S Committee, the general staff, and experts from EH&S or other research Divisions. In addition, feedback from the EH&S Division’s periodic inspections and reviews helps determine corrective actions and planned improvements.
Information about and expectations for the EH&S Program Status, new policies and procedures, lessons learned and corrective actions are provided to Division staff and guests at the annual All-Hands meeting, group meetings, management and administrative meetings, by EH&S Committee members, at the Website and through appropriate e-mail messages.
Resources
The following resources, in effort, are allocated to insure implementation and execution of the Physics Division EH&S Management Plan: .60FTE EH&S Coordinator; .33FTE Administrative Assistant; .05-.10FTE EH&S Committee activities; .05-.10FTE self-assessment activities by staff members in the Division; and .05FTE hands-on safety activities by technical staff. The following resources are made available by the EH&S Division: < .10 FTE Liaison, who participates in EH&S Committee meetings and provides a wide range of services; < .05 other specialists as needed.
Appendix A
Seven Guiding EH&S Principles:
- Line management responsibility
- Clear and unambiguous lines of authority are identified and maintained
- Competence commensurate with responsibilities is attained by personnel
- Balanced priorities are used to allot resources for research and safety needs.
- Hazards and standards are identified before any hazardous work is performed.
- Controls (administrative/engineering) are in place to prevent and mitigate hazards.
- Operational authorizations are acquired before hazardous work is begun.
Five Core EH&S Functions:
- Define and Plan the Work
- Hazard and Risk Analysis environment
- Establishment of Controls
- Work Performance
- Analysis and Feedback
More details can be found by reviewing the Laboratory “Integrated Environment, Health and Safety Management Plan” at http://www.lbl.gov/ehs/ism/Title.html
