Meet our newest HERO Card raffle winners, Moniruzzaman (Moni) Shaikh, a Postdoc in Chemical Sciences working at the experimental Atomic Molecular and Optical Sciences (AMOS), and Patrick Godfrey, a research associate in the Environmental Genomics Systems Biology (EGSB). They will each be awarded a $50 Safety Spot Award for their everyday acts of keeping Berkeley Lab a safe place to work.

Moni joined Berkeley Lab back in March of 2021 and enjoys working with exceptionally bright, curious, open-minded, and supportive scientists as well as the views of the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Lab’s natural visitors - turkeys and deer. Moni especially loves working with the laser in his lab, and it uses a lot of energy, cooling, and PPE to be operated properly. During a recent installation of a high-power, femtosecond, IR laser system, Moni helped with the planning, the installation and the implementation of all the safety measures, which are musts while working with this extremely powerful laser. These actions all led to his receiving a HERO card in January of 2022. He calls the laser Thanos and hopefully, it has a different fate than the Marvel character! Moni is also a board member of the Berkeley Lab Postdoc Association (BLPA: https://postdoc.lbl.gov) where he continues to set a good example for postdocs across Berkeley Lab.

Patrick has been with Berkeley Lab for only six months and is already setting a great example for safety. His favorite part of LBNL is working with his co-workers to navigate the ins and outs of cloning, treating it all as a fun adventure. One part of his work that has stood out in particular is a mouse who has been given the name “Big Boi” (AKA “BB”) and certainly won’t be an OutKast anytime soon due to his importance (okay, that was a stretch for a pun). Patrick was given his HERO Card in February of 2022 when one day, while returning from the mouse house, Patrick and a fellow RA were approached by a Principle RA who needed urgent help with a nitrogen tank hose. They were able to remove the broken adapter, replace it and re-attach it to the tank, ensuring that the nitrogen could be safely dispensed. Patrick is also a member of his building’s Building Emergency Team (BET) so he can ensure the safety of everyone in his building in the case of an emergency.

Hero Cards are only one way Berkeley Lab invites you to recognize the heroes that help “safe” your work day. Anyone can give one to anyone and you can do this by passing along a physical card or by submitting their name directly at https://hero.lbl.gov/. To request cards, contact safetyculture@lbl.gov. Be sure your recipient understands that in order to enter the raffle, the card must be registered through the site. And don’t forget the more important part of all - remember to “pass it on” to the next person you see doing acts of safety around the Lab. Two winning numbers are drawn every quarter, and each winner receives $50. For details on all safety awards, see: Safety Awards at a Glance.

LBNL is committed to protecting the welfare of animals used in research to ensure institutional compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations and LBNL policies governing the use of animals. The LBNL Animal Welfare and Research Committee oversees all research involving vertebrate animals in order to ensure that the highest ethical and animal welfare standards are met. Animal Research Website

What equipment would you need if your job for the day included working on top of one of the Lab’s buildings? What would you need if you were working with hydrofluoric acid?

Berkeley Lab requires that appropriate equipment be used to protect employees from hazards in the workplace. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) varies depending on the hazards you may encounter as you perform your work. PPE can range from the simple — protective eyewear, long pants and closed toe shoes in a laboratory — to the complex — fall protection equipment for that work on top of a building.

Determining PPE is part of the Lab’s Integrated Safety Management (ISM) process as a line management responsibility and is also addressed in Chapter 19 of Berkeley Lab’s ES&H Manual (PUB-3000).

For more information, please read the full article on Berkeley Lab's EH&S Site

With the rainy season upon us and shortened daylight hours, here are a few friendly safety reminders:

• During the darkened commuting time, drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists need to be extra aware of each other.

• Change the windshield wipers and check the tires on your vehicles.

• While cycling, wear reflective clothing and ensure both front and back bike lights function.

• Earbuds/headphones limit awareness of surroundings and increase pedestrian risks.

• Check your building entrances for mats and plastic umbrella covers to ensure floors stay dry.

• Use the flashlight available on most mobile phones when walking to or from your car in the dark.

• Be careful when driving, walking or riding your bike on wet pine needles. Report a build-up of needles or debris to the Work Request Center.

• If lights are out in key areas, like steps, pathways, or parking lots, report it to the Work Request Center.

For any safety concerns, e-mail safetyconcerns@lbl.gov

Falls and other pedestrian injuries are on the rise at the Lab and around the world. Analysis by EHS shows the factors contributing to these injuries include being distracted while walking, reading an e-device or papers, irregular step height, and carrying too many objects so that it is not possible to hold the handrail.

To improve safety, Honolulu is now fining people for viewing their smart phones while crossing the street. Amsterdam has embedded LED-illuminated strips in crosswalks. At the Lab, temporary chalk stencils remind staff to Walk Mindfully, Pocket Your Phone, and Hold the Rail.

The Lab’s irregular terrain can be dangerous, especially when sidewalks are wet or covered with tree debris. The Facilities Division does its part to maintain landscapes and improve roadways. To complement these efforts, employees are asked to stay alert while walking around the Lab.

What else can you do to help? Discuss potential safety hazards with your coworkers and other employees. If you see someone walking while looking at their phone, let them know you are concerned for their safety. In the lab or on the streets, if you are on the receiving end of this type of feedback, simply thank your colleague for caring about your well-being and consider changing your behavior.

In February 2017, a new Bike Shuttle Express was added to the Lab’s shuttle fleet to make things quicker, easier, and safer for bicycle commuters. The Express, which can carry up to 14 bikes and 14 passengers, makes four runs during the morning peak hours - from the Crescent off Oxford St at the Cal Campus to Building 69 near Grizzly Gate – a location that makes it easy for cyclists to get anywhere because it’s all downhill from there.

Drivers who use Grizzly Gate or park near Buildings 69, 75, and 76 may notice an uptick in the number of cyclists in the coming months and should make an extra effort to give them the full use of the lane. Drivers should particularly watch for cyclists at the first intersection below Grizzly Gate, which is challenging since downhill traffic does not stop and cyclists are not always easy to see.

Pedestrians in that area should also be extra alert for bicycle traffic especially at crosswalks, since bikes can reach relatively high speeds but aren’t as easy to see or hear as cars.

Cyclists will be navigating a relatively steep descent in mixed traffic and will want to apply such safety basics as:

• Always wear a helmet, which is required at LBNL.

• Obey all traffic signs and observe pedestrian right of way at crosswalks.

• Be as visible as possible by wearing bright clothing and using bright bike lights and reflectors.

• Descend the hills safely:

  • Relax your body.

  • Bend your elbows, relax your neck and shoulders, keep breathing and hold the bars firmly but not too tightly.

  • Set your gaze far ahead.

  • For controlled slowing, gently squeeze both brakes equally with two- to three-second pulses. Constantly riding the brakes on big descents can make rims overheat.

  • Apply the brakes before the turns rather than in them.

  • If you need to brake hard, be sure to keep your weight low and back and make sure that your arms are braced against the handlebars to absorb the force.

The new Bike Shuttle Express is part of an ongoing effort by the Lab to support cleaner and sustainable commute alternatives and promote traffic safety awareness. For more information see: http://commute.lbl.gov/. For more information about the shuttle, go here for FAQ.

Safety culture is definitely “a thing” at MSD’s Center for X-Ray Optics, as evidenced by how research technicians Chanin King and Warren Holcomb identify and resolve safety issues. Chanin won the raffle this quarter for properly tracking and handling unlabeled waste, but both he and Warren have been recognized with a Hero Card on other occasions. For instance, last year Warren received a Hero Card from their supervisor for taking the required steps to resolve a situation that generated static electricity: the equipment was immediately unplugged, a note that described the problem was attached, and their supervisor was notified straightaway so that the issue could be resolved by the appropriate expert.

Chanin lucked out by winning this raffle, but these co-workers feel they hit the jackpot every day just by being on the same team and watching out for each other and their group. When asked about the Hero Card for handling unlabeled waste, Chanin explained the situation but also immediately thought of Warren. That level of teamwork may be present in many work situations but is not always acknowledged so explicitly. And who knows, maybe Warren’s Hero Card number – or yours – will pop up at the next raffle, when all the Hero Cards registered during the last four quarters are entered into a random drawing.

Hero Cards are one way Berkeley Lab invites you to recognize the heroes that help “safe” your work day. Anyone can give one to anyone – so get a few from safetyculture@lbl.gov and make it “a thing” in your group. Be sure your recipient understands that in order to enter the raffle, the card must be registered. And also remember to “pass it on.” Two winning numbers are drawn every quarter, and each winner receives $50. For details on all safety awards, see: Safety Awards at a Glance.

You may have noticed the temporary neon-colored safety messages popping up in high traffic areas. They are the invention of a Berkeley Lab Safety Culture Work Group subcommittee whose task it was to create awareness around slip, trip, and fall prevention. The stenciling campaign involved brainstorming for catchphrases such as “Handrails, There for a Reason,” “Get a Grip,” and “A fall, a slip, a hospital trip.” Those ended up in the recycle bin, but the three top candidates are now in pink, green, and blue, inviting pedestrians to hold the rail, walk mindfully, and pocket your phone. The chalk is designed to wash away with the coming rain, but the hope is that the message remains.

“We’ve had some grievous injuries lately due to slips, trips and falls,” states Lab COO Glenn Kubiak. “The objective of this campaign is to create awareness about the little things we all can do to prevent these incidents and injuries. I think it’s a great demonstration of some of the key elements of Berkeley Lab’s safety culture, including having employees help each other to be safe...with a little humor thrown in to help get people’s attention and leaven a serious situation.”

Another invention of the subcommittee is the Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention video produced by summer intern Haley Sutton: safetyculture.lbl.gov.

If you are interested in joining a Safety Culture Work Group subcommittee for future safety awareness projects such as these, contact Kat Wentworth, Safety Culture Work Group Chair at safetyculture@lbl.gov.

Practically everyone at the lab uses a microwave oven to heat something – maybe lunch or snack in the common kitchen, or perhaps a liquid or media in a dedicated laboratory microwave. Several times a day even, we place a container in the microwave, press a few buttons and presto – it’s done! What could go wrong with something that simple?

As it turns out, quite a few things have gone wrong at national laboratories, as documented in the Lessons Learned database. For instance at Berkeley Lab last May, agar was heated too long in tightly capped bottles and the force of the rupture of the bottles was enough to blow the microwave oven door off and break the turn plate. Shattered glass was found 20 feet away. Also at Berkeley Lab, the Lessons Learned database shows that in 2013 scorching was observed on a “to go” coffee cup after only 30 seconds of heating, and in 2008 a microwave oven fire occurred.

Another database - the Department of Energy’s Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS) – lists high-consequence incidents, and several involve microwave ovens. For instance, ORPS shows that in 2000 at Idaho National Laboratory an overcooked potato on a napkin activated the fire alarm and shut down an experiment, in 2002 at Los Alamos burning popcorn tripped the fire alarm, and in 2008 at SLAC reheating un-popped kernels of popcorn led to the evacuation of a large building.

Thankfully no injuries occurred in any of these microwave oven incidents, but shutting down an experiment or evacuating a building can be very costly in terms of time lost. Luckily, these types of incidents can generally be prevented by following a few basic safety guidelines (summarized in this Microwave Oven Safety Tip Sheet, which you can download and laminate).

1. Preparing to use the oven:

• • Be sure the oven is clean, since dehydrated debris can catch on fire.

  • Use the proper container. Glass, tempered glass, ceramic, wax paper, parchment paper, plain paper towels, plastic that is explicitly labeled as microwave safe are safe for heating if used according to instructions. Never use aluminum foil, anything with metallic trim, foam-insulated cups or dishes, single-use plastic containers, or any container that could melt or catch fire.

  • Loosely cover the container to prevent splatter, making sure that steam can escape.

  • Use the correct setting and time for the intended use. Note that liquids, especially, can become very hot if heated too long – try 30 seconds.

2. While the oven is in use:

• • Stay in the general area so you can respond at the first sign of scorching, smoke, flames, or sparks. Press the stop button or unplug the oven, and if the content has caught fire, keep the oven door closed.

3. After the oven is off:

• • Prevent scalding by not overheating liquids and by opening heated containers pointed away from you.

  • Prevent a container from shattering by never overheating a tightly closed container, and not subjecting a container to rapid temperature changes.

4. General safety tips:

• • Only plug the oven directly into the wall socket, never into a power strip.

  • When plugging into the wall socket, be sure to grasp the plug so that you will not contact the metal prongs.

  • If the oven operates with the door open, shut the door and turn the oven off immediately, unplug it, mark it for salvage, and do not try to use it again!

  • Check for appliance recalls to prevent spontaneous fires (unrelated to cooking).

Resources

• Microwave Oven Safety Tip Sheet (Laminate and hang near the microwave)

• Lessons Learned and Best Practices Database: https://lessonslearned.lbl.gov/general/home.aspx?message

• UC Berkeley EH&S http://ehs.berkeley.edu/laser-safety/nir-manual-appendix-c-microwave-oven-safety-guidelines

Jeffrey Takakuwa, mechanical engineer in the Engineering Division is one of this quarter’s lucky Hero Card raffle winners. His good deed - which entered him into the raffle after receiving a Hero Card from a colleague and registering it - was spreading the word about two valuable resources offered to LBNL employees through UC Berkeley University Health Services. Jeff invited UCB Health Services Representative Craig Mielcarskio to his group’s monthly safety meeting to discuss benefits available under the Be Well at Work – Employee Assistance (formerly known as CARE Services) and Elder Care Programs. As an engineer, Jeff finds that "the more visible aspects of health and safety involve engineering and administrative controls, so not everyone would think of mental health as part of safety and health. I wanted to make sure that if anyone needs non-judgmental support for a current work or personal crisis, they know that help is available.” For more information, see https://uhs.berkeley.edu/bewellatwork/employee-assistance.

Hero Cards are one way Berkeley Lab invites you to recognize the heroes that help “safe” your work day. Request a supply from safetyculture@lbl.gov in time for your next group meeting and spread the word before the next raffle! Two winning numbers will be drawn quarterly, and each winner will receive $50. For more information, see Safety Awards at a Glance.

Every year since the inception of the Director’s Award for Exceptional Achievement by Dr. Alivisatos in 2011, the Berkeley Lab director has had the opportunity to personally recognize the experts who are making a world of difference in a broad range of categories. This year incoming Director Dr. Witherell will have the honor of recognizing a new group of accomplished professionals nominated by the Berkeley Lab community.

In anticipation of the new nominations the Safety Culture Work Group would like to foreground the outstanding contributions to Berkeley Lab’s safety culture of past recipients of the Director’s Award for Safety. In every instance, the key to success was dedication to safety and influence that transcends the immediate work group.

2015 - Scott Taylor, Advanced Light Source (ALS) Safety Manager. Scott was recognized for 25 years of involvement in – and critical support of – Environment, Safety, and Health (EHS) programs and initiatives; over the years his efforts extended to the Life Sciences Division, ALS, and the Work Planning and Control Program.

2014 - Wayne Lukens, Staff Scientist, Chemical Science Division. Wayne was recognized for the breadth and depth of his knowledge in a broad range of EHS Division hazard control programs, and for his expertise in launching Work Planning & Control. The cumulative impact of his dedication has contributed greatly to a more balanced, consistent, logical, and risk-based approach to safety that has fully enabled science.

2013 - Ron Zuckerman, Facility Director within the Molecular Foundry. Ron was recognized for cultivating a work environment in which safety and efficiency are intricately and synergistically woven together. He has led by example and design to inspire principal investigators to create similar work environments.

2012 - David Shuh, Senior Scientist, Chemical Sciences Division. David was recognized for a 7-year history of consistent effort in ensuring radiation protection safety and Department of Energy regulatory compliance. Among his achievements are providing leadership as chair of Berkeley Lab’s Radiation Safety Committee.

2012 - Jim Floyd, former ALS Division EHS Coordinator and current EHS Division Director. Jim was recognized for his low key but immensely effective ability to promote safety culture to a large and diverse ALS user group. He unfailingly demonstrated outstanding and successful leadership in creating accountability in the areas of safety with a Lab-wide reach – and does so to this day.

Newest Hero Card raffle winner Michael Connolly, Principal Scientific Engineering Associate in the Materials Science Division, is a super hero when it comes to spreading safety culture to the diverse users that conduct work at the Molecular Foundry. “At Berkeley Lab we emphasize safety – which may be a new perspective for some visiting researchers – so our staff makes every effort to convey the safe work practices that have evolved as the science grows,” he observed when asked about the Foundry’s safety culture. He noted that its strength is rooted in a comprehensive onboarding process, a highly interactive communication culture, and an emphasis on learning how to do things better. “It’s an ongoing team effort where we strive to keep all lines of communication open – that’s essential in a dynamic research environment with so many new users passing through,” he said.

Hero Cards are one way Berkeley Lab invites you to recognize the heroes that help safe your work day. Request a supply from safetyculture@lbl.gov in time for your next group meeting and spread the word before the next raffle! Two winning numbers will be drawn, and each winner will receive $50. For more information see Safety Awards at a Glance.

Recent changes at some locations at the main Berkeley Lab site are helping make it safer for our bicycling employees. The Lab has its first official bike lane! In addition, “sharrows” (a bicycle with arrows pointing forward) have been painted on many downhill lanes across the site to alert motorists of locations where bicycles may share the roadway. These are great milestones that improve road safety and show a commitment to encouraging alternative means of commuting to work. In this case, human power!

The bike lane was added from the Blackberry Gate to Perlmutter Road as part of the repaving project for Chu Road at the end of a busy capital construction project period that has provided us with the Computation Research and Theory Facility (CRT), General Purpose Laboratory (GPL), and Solar Energy Research Center buildings (SERC). At a minimum width of 4 feet, this lane meets the standards for a Class II bike lane. As such, it is labeled with the familiar bicycle symbol. While the lane from Perlmutter Road to the Bevatron Circle is narrower than 4 feet wide, the restriping created a wider shoulder for bicyclists to use. As a result, this shoulder cannot be, and was not, labeled as an official bike lane. Future plans call for widening this stretch of road to create a standard bike lane.

Bicycles traveling in the downhill direction are often able to keep up with vehicle traffic, especially in stretches where the speed limit is 15 miles per hour. To accommodate this fact, and consistent with the California Motor Vehicle Code, sharrows or shared roadway bicycle markings have been painted on the roadway to assist bicyclists with positioning on a shared roadway. They also alert motorists of the location a bicyclist may occupy within the roadway. Complementing the sharrow markings, signs noting that a bicyclist may take the full lane were also installed, as both as shown in the photo below.

These changes result from the hard work of the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee, Safety Concerns, and Safety Culture Work Group working collaboratively with Facilities and Environment, Health, and Safety Divisions to improve roadway safety conditions at the Lab.