Common Sense

This column is written by ES&H Director Bill Griffing (left).

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to travel to CERN. It's impossible not to be impressed with the sheer magnitude of the operation, the size of the detector halls, and the scale of the detectors taking shape within them. Daily meetings are essential to coordinate the myriad work activities going on simultaneously as the LHC approaches start-up. There is still much work to be done to get the CMS detector assembled and to finish the infrastructure around it. But those responsible for the work understand that the schedule is secondary to job safety.

In comparing worker safety between Europe and the U.S., I found that I had some misconceptions. I did not expect to see the strong commitment to safety that was evident from my tours and from our interactions with the workers we encountered along the way. And I was very impressed with the leadership of the CERN Safety Commission as well. I learned that many objective observers consider Europe to be far ahead of the United States when it comes to worker safety. From my own observations, I can say that I did see some practices that tended to support that assertion, but I don't think the differences are dramatic.

I also learned that Europeans don't necessarily have a completely factual view of worker safety in the U.S., either. In discussions, I repeatedly heard that worker safety in Europe was rooted in "common sense," implying directly or indirectly that in the U.S. it is not. When I finally tired of hearing this, I pressed my guide to explain why he felt that we in the U.S. don't apply a common-sense approach to safety. He told me that he and his colleagues believed that in the U.S., we are so prescriptive as to safety precautions that people are not allowed to apply common sense in matters of safety. "After all," he said, "you are the nation that requires coffee to be labeled with 'hot' warnings." I suppose we have our legal system to thank for that perception.

During my visit, I was invited to give a presentation on our approach to worker safety to the CERN Safety Commission leadership. I also heard a presentation about the changes underway in CERN's approach to its their worker safety program. I believe the exchange benefited both partners, and was an important step in opening a dialogue between CERN and Fermilab that will lead to improvements in both our safety programs.

Sharon Austin to retire

Sharon Austin, a Fermilab employee since 1981, will retire January 31, 2007. Austin has contributed to a number of projects at the lab, including Tevatron spool production, SiDet, e-cool and high-field magnet R&D. Prior to these assignments, she was part of Detector Support in the Physics Section and Detector R&D in the Particle Detector Group.

An informal retirement party is scheduled for January 31 at 3:00 p.m. in Lab 6; feel free to stop by to say goodbye.

Ask-a-Scientist
Fermilab's Ask-a-Scientist program is looking for volunteers to discuss physics with the public once or twice a year. The program takes place on the 15th floor of Wilson Hall on select Sunday afternoons. Contact Peter Garbincius (garbincius@fnal.gov) for more details; read more about the program here.

Brown Bag Seminar on Internet Safety
Wellness Works presents a Brown Bag Seminar on Internet Safety, "Avoiding Internet Predators and Scams," offered by Justin Fitzsimmons, Assistant States Attorney for Kane County. The seminar will be held today, January 24, from Noon to 1 p.m. in Curia II.

Upcoming Activities