Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory masthead A-Z Index Berkeley Lab masthead U.S. Department of Energy logo Phone Book Jobs Search

Safety Topics

 

Parking in B83 & B84 Areas

Parking has become very tight for B83 & B84 now that the areas adjacent to B74 have been restricted to contractor/construction parking. We appreciate everyone's patience and flexibility in dealing with the limited parking available. A few folks have tried parking in the contractor parking/off-limits areas around B74, but this is not an viable option. If you do park in an empty spot in these areas, you will be asked to move your vehicle -- so please park outside the off-limits areas.

Also, the uppermost street parking spaces in front of B83, between the pedestrian crosswalk to B84 and the stairs to B83, are reserved for blue triangle parking only. The current signage indicating blue triangle parking in this area is inadequate. We are working on a better solution. Meanwhile, please park here only with a blue triangle permit. (Posted 11/5/09)

LS Student Safety Handbook and Orientation Checklist

All persons new to Berkeley Lab are required to complete Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) training. This training however does not directly address many of the safety issues unique to a particular lab, such as where to evacuate in an emergency or what chemical hazards are present. To bridge the gap between EHS training and lab-specific safety issues, the Life Sciences Division has developed a new student safety handbook and a safety orientation checklist.

The student safety handbook was designed with students in mind and emphasizes some fundamental lab safety issues. It is a useful resource for any new Life Sciences Division employee to help identify hazards inside the labs.

The safety orientation checklist is designed for supervisors, work leads or area safety leads to review with new employees when they first enter the lab. The checklist focuses on basic life safety issues (such as eye wash locations, spill kit locations, etc.) and on hazards present in a particular lab. (Posted 9/28/09)

Working in or Traveling to and From the B74 Area

The seismic and structural safety upgrade of Building 74 (B74) is still underway. An excellent presentation given to Life Sciences by Jack Heffernan of the Berkeley Lab Facilities Dept to inform us about potential impacts from extensive construction activities in and around B74 can be found here. The presentation includes background information about seismic risk assessment at Berkeley Lab and the specific seismic problems and fixes planned for B74. More information can be found on the construction project website. Please inform yourself and exercise caution when traveling in the Strawberry Canyon area, as the construction work continues. (Posted 1/5/09; Rev. 9/18/09)

Parking in the B83/84 Area

The seismic structural upgrade of Building 74 (B74) is almost completed and the first phase of the functional renovation is scheduled to start in a couple of weeks. This first phase is the demolition of most of the building's interior, including all mechanical and electrical systems in the building. In order to safely execute this work, the Facilities Department and the contractor, Nibbi Construction, will need to expand the perimeter fence on most sides of the building, which will have a significant effect on the parking situation. The parking spots in the U1 lot (downhill from B74) and U3 lot (between B74 and B84 as well as to the east of B74) will no longer be available to the research community and these areas will only be accessible by construction personnel, deliveries to B84, maintenance vehicles, and fire access. An access gate will be established just past the bus stop in front of B74 and the stairway from the B74/84 courtyard to the U3 lot will be for emergency access only. The cylinder cage room 84-089 will remain accessible from the B84 freight elevator lobby.

B74 Area

 

By opening up all 40 parking spaces in the U5 (directly up from the Strawberry Gate) for lab researchers as well as most of the 42 spaces along the road to the water reservoir above B85, the Facilities folks plan to alleviate the resulting loss of 47 parking spaces in the U1 and U3 lots. To compensate for the 5 blue triangle spaces in the U3 lot, 5 parking spaces along Calvin Road in between B83 and B84 will be designated for blue triangle parking. In order to improve accessibility between the U5 lot and both B83 and B84, the stairway and footpath is being replaced and repaired to be an attractive walkway. A formal crosswalk over Calvin Road will connect B83 and B84.

This new arrangement went into effect on Tuesday morning, September 30, 2009 and will remain in effect for the 3-4 months of the demolition phase. If the subsequent construction phase remains on schedule it will start immediately following the demolition and it will require the same safety perimeter for the 18 months of construction through fall 2011. Everyone in division management and in Facilities understands the inconvenience this will cause but there was no alternative way to ensure people's safety while this complicated construction project is ongoing. Please contact Rebecca Rishell or Damir Sudar with your concerns about these changes. (Posted 9/22/09; Rev. 10/1/09)

SPOT Awards

Employee participation is a vital component in any successful safety program. To encourage participation, each quarter the Life Sciences Division recognizes one or two employees with a $250 SPOT Award for Safety. These awards are given to employees who are proactively engaged in safety, who are routinely demonstrating their commitment to working safely, or who submit their safety concerns and ideas for improvements to the Division. In addition, there is an annual $1,000 SPOT award for the lab demonstrating the strongest commitment to safety. Nominations can be submitted to Andrew Peterson or Scott Taylor.

Past winners include:


(Posted 9/18/09)

Work by Outside Service Vendors

On-site set-up, maintenance or repair work on Life Sciences equipment by outside service techs requires the preparation of a special Job Hazard Analysis prior to the start of the work.  The Subcontractor Job Hazard Analysis (sJHA) form must be sent to the contractor by the requestor, to be filled out and returned prior to their scheduled visit. The sJHA is then sent to the Divisional Safety Coordinator (DSC) for approval.  A visit between the requestor, service tech and DSC takes place on the day of the visit before work is authorized.

Life Sciences Division staff should contact the DSC as soon as a service call is needed to insure that this process is promptly and correctly carried out. This is especially important for work that exposes the repair worker to energized circuits, radiation, or lasers.  Safety requirements in this work can require additional documentation.

Further information, and a copy of the sJHA form, can be obtained on-line at http://www.lbl.gov/ehs/ssa/nssa/index.shtml.
(Posted 12/19/08)

Shipment of Packages Containing Dry Ice

If you need to ship a package containing dry ice, the package must be shipped by the Shipping Department in Building 69 to ensure proper shipment preparation.  Do NOT go directly through FedEx.

Place items to be shipped in a container with the dry ice.  Shipping will complete the final preparation of the package.  You may transport your package of research material with dry ice to Building 69 or leave it at a designated Berkeley Lab pickup location, as long as the research material you are shipping (exclusive of the dry ice) is non-hazardous material. (Posted 12/19/08)

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

PPE is required in all chemical and biological laboratories. To enter the lab, one must be wearing (at a minimum) safety glasses and closed-toed shoes. Performing work requires the use of a lab coat and appropriate gloves.  Areas requiring PPE are designated with “Safety Glasses and PPE Required” green tape on the floor. Check the Entrance Placards at lab doors to determine specific hazards and appropriate PPE for each laboratory. (Posted 12/19/08)

Safety Glasses

Safety glasses with side shields are a requirement inside the laboratory. Prescription safety glasses are available through Health Services (x 6266), but non-prescription safety glasses need to be provided by your particular laboratory. It is important to remember that when it comes to safety glasses, one size does not fit all. It seems like most standard safety glasses are “big”, but it is possible to find safety glasses designed for smaller faces. Some of these include:

Safety Glasses
(Posted 9/18/09)