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<u><i>Sent on behalf of Mary Logue, associate director of the
Environment, Safety, Health & Quality Division</i></u><br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Do You Know Your Safety Envelope?</b><br>
<br>
An event of note and four injuries in the last few weeks have
focused attention on the importance of planning and its impact on
safety at Jefferson Lab. <br>
<br>
First, I am pleased to report that the Thomas Jefferson Site Office
approved our Accelerator Safety Envelope for operating the
accelerator at 12 GeV. We expended a good deal of effort to define
the Accelerator Safety Envelope (ASE), spending six months analyzing
the hazards and risks associated with operating the accelerator. The
completed ASE identifies the bounding conditions and limitations
within which the accelerator must be operated to assure the safety
of workers, the environment and the public. The ASE informs the
procedures followed by operators to run the machine and serves as
input against which experimental reviews are conducted with the
Halls and FEL. You can find the ASE on the <a
href="http://wwwold.jlab.org/ehs/">ESH&Q website.</a><br>
<br>
The Accelerator Safety Envelope is an important achievement, but it
also serves as a reminder that it is important for each of us to
establish our own individual safety envelopes. Our Worker Safety and
Health Program provides us with the training and tools to do this.
We know, for instance, the importance of defining our scope of work,
analyzing hazards, and defining and implementing hazard controls. <br>
<br>
Looking at four recent injuries, it is clear that all of us need to
work more safely. All four injuries required treatment beyond first
aid; two resulted in lost and restricted time. The injuries are
summarized below, but in each case there was an element of an
employee exceeding his or her limitations.<br>
<br>
* Employee worked in an awkward position for an extended period
experienced severe back pain after straightening up;<br>
* Employee attempted to jump over a puddle, missed the curb and
fell, injuring his head and hand;<br>
* Subcontractor employee attempted to lift heavy trench cover by
hand. The cover slipped, crushing and fracturing finger;<br>
* Employee lifted a 40 pound fire extinguisher and felt a pop in
shoulder; surgery to repair is scheduled for this week.<br>
<br>
When planning your work, ask yourself: “Not only, what’s the worst
that could happen? But, given the hazards of this task, what is the
range of all mishaps that could occur?” <br>
<br>
Another question should be: “What is my Safety Envelope and can I
perform my planned task within the Envelope?” If you cannot, then
it’s time to re-evaluate your task or ask others to help you
evaluate your task so that it falls within your Safety Envelope.<br>
<br>
As the old saying goes: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure.<br>
<br>
<u><i>You can contact Mary at <a href="logue@jlab.org">logue@jlab.org</a>.</i></u><br>
<br>
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