Communication from Jack Bartley to IFA Team Recruits:

For some of you this will be a follow up to our phone conversation. To the rest of you, hopefully, it is not a surprise. I am assuming that all of you have at least heard of this process that allows the Laboratory to work with the local DOE office to determine the ES&H standards and requirements that apply to all the Laboratory's activities and to which their ES&H performance will be measured. If you have not, give me a call at 4191. The first step in this process calls for a definition of the work and the hazards associated with it. The logic of this approach is compelling: define what is taking place before determining what standards to apply. At LBNL, the Preliminary Hazard Review, which is the initial step in the Integrated Functional Appraisal of each division's operations, is being used to define the work and associated hazards. Because the Necessary and Sufficient process is mandated to be bottoms up rather than top down, the Laboratory and DOE group managing the N & S process has agreed that research staff should be directly involved in the definition of the work and associated hazards as well as in recommending a set of standards and requirements. I am contacting each of you to participate or to designate someone who you think could make a contribution.

Please note that Divisional ES&H Coordinators will be involved as part of their normal duties in the self-assessment/integrated appraisal process and that our goal is to involve leaders of research in this process. Your involvement in the hazards review would be, at a minimum, to participate in the validation of the definition of the hazards in your division. This task entails review the evaluation of the hazards for factual accuracy and participating in walk through of selected areas to validate the accuracy of the summary of the hazards. The maximum participation would be to act as a Preliminary Hazards Review Team member, which is acceptable and encouraged.

Some you will be asked to participate in the next step, to help determine the set of requirements and standards for you work area, your division, and the Laboratory. A willingness to meet for an hour once a week for several weeks is needed to complete this task. The advantage, of course, is that you have direct involvement in determining the standards and requirements for a program designed to protect you and your research peers, your staff, the public, and the environment from the hazards associated with work at the Berkeley Laboratory. If you accept, a formal letter from the LBNL/DOE Management Team outlining your duties and responsibilities will follow. In addition, if you are willing to participate, please send a C.V. to Forrest Gee, Bldg 90/1140. Documenting the credentials of participants is essential part of the process.