Berkeley Lab is working with the Felidae Conservation Fund to determine and assess mountain lion activity at the main Lab location. A lecture on Wednesday, May 29, in the Building 50 Auditorium from noon to 1 p.m. addresses whether mountain lions exist in the neighborhood and what role they play in our local ecosystem. The lecturer from Felidae will discuss other local wildlife as well as the efforts of the Bay Area Puma Project.
The annual Emergency Preparedness Fair and Road Safety Day events join forces this year for a gathering that will both help employees prepare for and react to future emergencies, as well as raise their awareness on safe road behaviors. Held on Tuesday, June 18 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the cafeteria parking lot, the more than 36 exhibits provide opportunities to learn about local emergency organizations, road safety, and disaster preparedness. There will be music, the Shaker Van, a cafeteria BBQ, raffle prizes, winning Emergency Go Kit contest entries on display, discounts on emergency kits and supplies, and a farmers market. More>
It takes guts to share your mistakes and near misses with your colleagues. Who wants to look foolish when they can keep mum, silently vowing not to repeat said mistake? The Material Science Division (MSD) not only gets people to freely admit their mistakes and near misses, but it rewards the year’s best close call in an annual competition. “We’ve learned a lot of things and identified some significant problems since we started the near-miss program six years ago,” said Rick Kelly, MSD safety coordinator. More>
The Red Wing Work Shoe vendor will be onsite tomorrow from 7:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. in the Bevatron parking lot. Those working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, may be authorized to purchase safety shoes. Employees whose jobs require them to stand or walk for long periods of time may be authorized to purchase fatigue-reducing shoe insoles up to the authorized annual limit of $35. The purchase of safety shoes and insoles require a signed Shoe Issuance Form be presented before selecting any shoes. More>
Health Services will not be accepting any non-urgent drop-in visitors after noon today. Staff will be available for any emergency or urgent needs. The clinic’s regular schedule of 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. resumes tomorrow.
A large number of Safety Spot Award winners from the last twelve months assembled for a group photo with Lab Chief Operating Officer Glenn Kubiak and EHSS Acting Director Joe Dionne. The awards recognize individuals or teams who have clearly demonstrated safe behavior. Anyone can nominate their colleagues for the awards, which carry a cash prize. Make a nomination or learn about past recipients here.
What would you need to survive for the first three days after an emergency? That’s the average time it takes for relief to arrive for natural disasters and other widespread emergency situations. This year’s Emergency Go Kit Contest allows you to show your resourcefulness and win a cash prize of up to $250. Off-the-shelf kits are ineligible, unless they have been extensively modified to reflect your personal needs. The contest is part of this year’s Emergency Preparedness Fair and Road Safety Day on June 18. The top three finalists will display their kits and the winner will be announced at the event. More>
Harold Blair, who started his firefighting career at Berkeley Lab in 1973, died on April 28. He was 61 years old. The Lab fire department merged with the Alameda County Fire Department in August 2002, and Blair continued working at the Lab as part of the ACFD. He retired in 2007 after 34 years of service.
Last week, Jonathan Wurtele of the Accelerator and Fusion Research Division came upon this gray fox near Building 71. While rarely seen by most employees, gray fox are common here. While they generally eat rabbits, they consume wild turkey eggs and chicks. A note of caution: do not feed fox or any other wild animals. Be sure to keep areas around Dumpsters clean of food scraps and debris, as this attracts small foraging animals, followed by larger predators, like fox, bobcats, or mountain lions. A Sandia employee was bit last year by a fox she was feeding. Fortunately, the animal was rabies free, but it was killed in order to test it.
The National Weather service has issued a red flag warning for hazardous fire conditions through 6:00 p.m. today. The combination of low humidity and gusty winds are driving this warning. All outside hot work permits will be suspended today and any routine maintenance that could impair any fire detection or supression system should be deferred. Any necessary impairment of fire detection or suppression system should immediately be reported to Protective Services at 486-6016.
