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The Department of Energy's Integrated Safety Management verification audit begins Monday Labwide. While Criteria Review and Approach Document 3, which discusses management committment and worker involvement in ensuring safety in the work place, is important for all employees, CRADs 1, 2 and 4 deal with safety issues specific to at least three facilities and or organizations. More information on CRADs 1, 2 and 4 and the verification audit can be found on the Integrated Safety Management World Wide Web page. Additional information about the audit also can be found in the March 21 Daily Newsbulletin. |
Laboratory awards nuclear facilities subcontract agreements
Officials at the Laboratory on Thursday announced the award of two agreements for advisory and support services related to the operation of Los Alamos' major nuclear facilities.
Los Alamos awarded agreements to BWX Technologies and Westinghouse Government Services Company. Both companies have experience operating nuclear facilities for DOE.
The companies will help the Laboratory improve its operation of nuclear facilities, including the Plutonium Facility, Chemistry and Metallurgy Research facility, and critical experiment facilities. By awarding the agreements, the Laboratory has met one of the first specific requirements of Appendix O of the recently modified University of California management contract. Appendix O specifies performance milestones that Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory must attain before DOE will consider awarding certain performance fees to UC.
"We are very pleased to be able to have the experience base of BWXT and Westinghouse supporting us as we strive to improve the efficiency and operational excellence of our nuclear facilities," said Tony Stanford, director of the Laboratory's Facility and Waste Operations Division. "Both companies have a wealth of experience with nuclear facilities of the same complexity as the ones at Los Alamos. BWXT and Westinghouse will give us a fresh look at our nuclear facilities operations, and valuable insight into the best practices that industry leaders are implementing."
Under the agreements, the companies will focus on six areas: management processes; business management practices; facilities operations; facilities maintenance; and system design and engineering. The agreements could continue for up to five years, and potentially could be worth up to $20 million.
The first milestone in the agreements will be reached within 120 days: BWXT will work with Los Alamos personnel to produce an assessment of the Laboratory's major nuclear facilities. Based on the assessment, personnel from Los Alamos and the two advisory/support companies will make recommendations about how the Laboratory can modify, strengthen or improve nuclear facilities operations. Finally, DOE, the Laboratory, BWXT and Westinghouse will work together to implement recommendations - which ultimately will assist in making Los Alamos' nuclear facilities operations among best in class.
"These agreements are a powerful tool that the Laboratory will use to make our nuclear facilities more efficient, more cost-effective and more on par with those who are setting the standards in the nuclear industry," Stanford said.
Nuclear facility safety improvement is one of six focus areas identified by the DOE under Appendix O. The other five major sections under the appendix are management accountability, safeguards and security, critical human resource skills, project management and construction project management, and evaluation and self assessment.
Los Alamos and LLNL will be graded on Appendix O measures at the end of this year and in December 2002.
--James E. Rickman
Einstein came out of the box at Lab
Arden Bercovitz resurrected Albert Einstein for a short time Wednesday in an effort to teach employees how to think outside the proverbial box. He instructed an audience of Laboratory workers on how to enhance learning, make cultural and behavioral changes as well as broaden their point-of-view. It also was designed to present invisible diversity through the eyes of Einstein.
Bercovitz portrays the Nobel Prize-winning physicist to clients in the energy, computer, telecommunication, engineering, finance and education industries.
The presentation was sponsored by the Diversity (DVO) Office as part of its diversity education and awareness strategy.
Bercovitz believes that employees should come to work every day with one of Einstein's quotes in mind: "The world as I see it is only the world as I see it. Others may see it differently."
Bercovitz said that people should engage in activities that increase blood flow to the brain, such as standing up and speaking louder more often. "Go into a meeting room before people get there. Take away all the chairs . . . With everyone standing up, the meeting will go faster and will be more productive," said Bercovitz.
He offered several brain boosters to help with thinking out-of-the-box:
He also suggested that workers increase their expectations as a way of becoming more productive especially in a work environment where external and internal controls are not going to go away.
"If you're a teacher and your expectations are high, then students will do well," said Bercovitz. He also suggested that employees be on the look out for "schlimmbes," an abbreviated German word that means "improvements that make things worse." He said there would be fewer problems if people would think two steps ahead and speak up when they see such a scenario happening.
Before the talk, Bercovitz told DVO it is important for all employees to leverage their creativity to develop better solutions to schlimmbes rather than just announce their finding of a schlimmbe.
Bercovitz is a certified speaking professional recognized by the National Speakers Association. He also has lifetime teaching credentials in California, where he has taught at the grade school and college levels. He received his doctoral degree in reproductive endocrinology from the University of Missouri in 1976. His multi-disciplinary training included emphasis on the environment and nutrition with a mulitspecies awareness.
The Diversity Office sponsored the presentation with the Associate Laboratory Director for Threat Reduction (ALDTR), Business Operations Division Office (BUS-DO), Nonproliferation and International Security Division and Programs (NIS-DO), Associate Laboratory Director for Strategic and Supporting Research (ALDSSR), Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) Division, Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) and the Decision Applications Division Office (D-DO).
--Michael Carlson
Taking a bigger step towards recycling
Workers in the Otowi Building have already noticed Recycling Centers set up on all floors to gather up used white paper, plastic, aluminum cans and cardboard. But they probably didn't know their building is a prototype for similar stations that could spread to the rest of the Laboratory.
Individual bins have been placed to accept used white paper, cardboard, cans and plastic for recycling instead of adding to the Lab's waste stream. The Business Operations (BUS) Division Environmental Champions, comprising members of BUS, Facility and Waste Operations (FWO), and Johnson Controls Northern New Mexico are working to get glass recycling added as well.
The centers provide a place for employees to dispose of items that would have normally gone to the landfill. As people become familiar with the Recycling Centers, it is possible the dispersed green bins will gravitate to the recycling centers for centralized pick-up. The idea for the recycling centers came out of a BUS Division Business Plan goal whose objective is a safe, secure and environmentally compliant workplace. As plans allow, the next step is to expand the centers to other Business Administration and Outreach employee locations.
"The bins may not be pretty," says Bani Chatterjee of Defense (BUS-2), "but they get the job done. The essence of recycling is conservation and reuse. A good business pays attention to its environment. It's taking care of your own backyard."
For more information, write to busenvchamps@lanl.gov by electronic mail. To view an online presentation go to http://bus.lanl.gov/recycling/ online.
--John Bass
Lab's fire recovery plan recognized by National Association
The Laboratory's Cerro Grande Fire recovery planning efforts were recently recognized by the American Planning Association. The Lab received an honorable mention for the 2000 Planning Award in the category of Outstanding Collaborative Planning Project or Program.
Dick Burick, the Lab's Deputy Director for Operations, said the award was given to the entire institution, rather than to one specific group or individual.
The framed certificate states: "These planning efforts for the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico demonstrate a well-integrated response to a natural disaster that has impacted human communities. The plan is very comprehensive and includes numerous elements which might become a checklist for other such responses to natural disasters."
--Kay Roybal
Record of Decision Issued on Final Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for the National Ignition Facility
Department of Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has decided not
to make any changes in the design, construction and operation
of the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory. Secretary Abraham selected the Department's preferred
alternative as described in the Final Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement. The Secretary's Record of Decision was published
recently in the Federal Register.
"The National Ignition Facility Project supports the National Nuclear Security Administration's missions to ensure the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile remains safe, secure, and reliable," said NNSA Administrator John A. Gordon.
When completed, NIF will house the world's most powerful laser, with 60 times more energy than any laser in existence today. NIF will produce conditions close to those at the center of stars and approaching those that occur inside detonating nuclear weapons. This will be the first time such conditions have been replicated in a laboratory setting.
Experimental data gained from NIF will be added to information and analyses obtained from other non-nuclear tests, advanced computer simulation and modeling, and surveillance activities and experiments. When this information is combined with archived data from United States nuclear tests, it will be a key component of next generation tools to allow the U. S. to assess and certify the safety and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile without the need for underground nuclear testing.
Based in part on the information and analysis contained in the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), the Department determined that further NIF construction and operation would result in no additional potential adverse impacts to workers or the public from hazardous, toxic or radioactive materials related to buried wastes beyond those previously analyzed. The final SEIS was approved January and issued in February.
In October 1997, the Department entered into a Joint Stipulation and Order with the Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental groups in partial settlement of a lawsuit regarding the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. The Department agreed to prepare a SEIS to analyze the reasonably foreseeable significant adverse environmental impacts of continuing to construct and of operating NIF with respect to any potential or confirmed contamination in the area by hazardous, toxic and/or radioactive materials.
A copy of the Final SEIS is available at http://tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa/docs/docs.htm online.
A copy of the Record of Decision can be found on the Government Printing Office Access page at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/index.html online.
Santa Fe AIDS Walk sign up in the Otowi
Building Wednesday April 18 and 25
Laboratory employees and other personnel can sign up for the 11th annual AIDS Walk Santa Fe on April 18 or 25 in the Otowi Building.
The 5-kilometer walk on May 5 raises money benefiting Santa Fe Cares, a community AIDS foundation funding Northern New Mexico HIV/AIDS services and programs.
A table will be set up from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Otowi Building lobby near the entrance to the cafeteria, said Jack Harris of Desktop (CCN-2) and co-captain of this years Laboratory AIDS Walk team (Team 18).
The walk begins at 10 a.m. from the downtown plaza and takes participants on a 5-kilometer (3.1 miles) trek through downtown and eastside city streets before finishing back on the plaza.
This year, the AIDS Walk starts with registration and health tent opening at 8:30 a.m. Opening ceremonies are at 9 a.m. and after the walk there will be free snacks, free foot massages and an award ceremony with music and dancing.
Employees and other Lab personnel who raise at least $100 in pledges or donations will also receive the official 2001 Santa Fe AIDS Walk T-shirt from Santa Fe Cares.
Employees and other Lab personnel and their families may also sign up for the walk by calling Harris at 5-4036 or writing to jackh@lanl.gov by electronic mail, or by calling Santa Fe Cares at 989-WALK (989-9255).
A packet with information and pledge sheets can be mailed to interested personnel at their Lab mail stops, Harris said.
In addition, pledges to the Lab's team should be directed to team number 18 on the pledge form, said Harris. Laboratory team members should meet at 9 a.m. on the Plaza near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and West San Francisco Street in front of the Ore House.
The Santa Fe AIDS Walk is put on by Santa Fe Cares in conjunction with several local corporate sponsors.
--Steve Sandoval
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Integrated Safety Management audit begins
Monday Labwide
Bien Dicho
announces Speech contest winner
