Over the years, SLAC has reviewed its safety and environmental concerns through a number of auditing or self-assessment processes. These have included integrated safety management system (ISMS) reviews, line and building management assessments, the Talk, Walk, and Clean standdowns (TWC), and others. For each process, SLAC assesses itself to see how well employee safety and site environmental risks are being addressed.

As we all know, safety is a part of everyone’s job and we are all affected by the safety and welfare of each other. As a result, a self-assessment process such as the TWC has been an important tool to identify issues and ask from within: What can we do better? In keeping with this spirit, the Safety and Environmental Discussion Assistance Committee (SEDAC), that helped prepare the site for the TWC process, is currently developing a new activity in anticipation of possible regulation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The DOE has historically handled safety regulation. This program will compare SLAC safety programs against the criteria of the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program, and ISMS principles. This assessment is being developed to help SLAC continue its leadership role in demonstrating to the regulatory agencies and the community that it conducts its scientific mission while effectively managing safety and environmental issues.

SEDAC will be detailing this new self-assessment process in the next couple of months. More information will be shared as plans are developed.

The announcement is brought to you by the members of SEDAC:

Jack Hahn (x3295) SEDAC Chairman

Rich Cellamare (x3401) for ES&H Division

Rick Challman (x3004) for Business Services Division

Ian Evans (x3110) for SSRL Division

Bill Kroutil (x4785) for Technical Division

Frank O’Neill (x5300) for Research Division