By Leslie Normandin
There have been quite a few news stories in recent months
regarding missing property and alleged purchase card abuse at the
University of California’s (UC) Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
We share with LANL an abiding dedication to science. And
like other U.S. national laboratories, we are funded by DOE. Nearly all
the equipment and materials used at SLAC are U.S. government property.
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Remember it is very important to
immediately report missing, stolen or damaged property to Laboratory
Safeguards and Security.
Contact Rick Yeager, Ext. 5333.
After hours, call the Main Gate, Ext. 2551. A security officer will
take your report, and Property Control will receive a copy of the
report. |
This requires that we all practice due diligence in the
use, protection, accountability, and disposition of property in our
possession.
Not Immune from an Audit
In January, auditors from the Inspector General’s Office
were here for an entrance meeting to kick off an audit of sensitive
property. They are currently conducting this same audit at the UC Labs.
SLAC provided the auditors with a list of data items they requested. They
were also given a tour of Receiving and Salvage.
The auditors will be looking very closely at our
procedures and processes from the moment an item is ordered, whether on a
Purchase Order, purchase card or contract, and follow it through the
system. They will be checking that all paperwork is in order, including
signatures on new equipment purchases.
The audit will include a physical sample of sensitive
property. For example, auditors will check that the location and custodian
match what is in our property database. They will also look at the
disposal process. Is it all-inclusive—what we call ‘cradle to grave’?
What You Can Do
You can query the database from the BIS Web page under
Property (https://www-bis.slac.stanford.edu/slaconly/bin/assets.asp)
to see what property is currently assigned to you. If there are any
changes, you can submit an on-line transfer or update.
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It is important, regardless of the cost of
equipment, to ensure that government property is labeled.
Equipment worth over $300 requires a bar coded
property label.
Equipment worth under $300 gets marked with a
government property label. |
It is your responsibility to notify Property Control when
you move or transfer equipment. If you use your purchase card to buy
equipment, it is your responsibility to notify Property Control. Extra
precautions should always be taken to protect computers, PDAs, cell phones
and other similar items.
Remember that all equipment needs to go to Salvage for
disposal (Bldg. 28, Ext. 2329). For any equipment that has been damaged,
dismantled or is beyond economical repair and did not go to Salvage,
please write a memo to Property Control detailing the specifics.
Contact: Leslie Normandin, Property Control, MS 85A, Ext.
4350, leslie@slac.stanford.edu
For more information on property procedures, see the
Personal Property Management Guide at:
http://www-group.slac.stanford.edu/pcd/property_management.html
