Challenge

Pier Oddone

At Fermilab, we are very good at meeting almost any challenge that comes our way. Getting the luminosity of the Tevatron to unprecedented levels, fixing the LHC triplet magnets, creating a roadmap for the particle physics community under challenging circumstances are all clear successes. We are able to pull together when we need to and solve almost any problem. Our successes are not only self-declared but have been validated by sponsors and peers alike such as last week's DOE Annual Review.

The challenge that we have so far not met is lowering the rate of injuries at our laboratory.

We have just concluded fiscal year 2007 with great performance in just about every measure. Yet we had an average of one injury a month that required either restrictions in the kind of work done or days away from work. This is twice the number of injuries we had last year. We cannot accept this toll on our employees. Our goal is zero injuries for the sake of every single employee and coworker and their families. Because of the seriousness of this issue I find myself devoting an increasing fraction of my time to seeking solutions. If necessary I will spend all of my time to solve this problem even though it will curb my ability to address everything else a director needs to do for the well being of the laboratory.

I am challenging myself and every one of you to redouble his or her efforts to promote safety first and to prevent injuries. The vast majority of the injuries in our records come from not planning the work - usually simple things that we commonly do and don't think much about - or from being distracted while doing the work. The problems seldom are due to lack of training or carrying out more hazardous work. Lack of attention to safety is the common thread found in most of the injuries at Fermilab. Managers all along the supervisory chain must devote the time necessary - as I will - to keep safety in the forefront of everyone's mind. Ultimately safety is a shared responsibility for every employee, user and visitor alike. If you see someone not paying attention to safety, speak up; you could save someone from an injury. You could help our laboratory meet this stubborn, crucial challenge.

NIU president announces 'hopes for NIU's future'

Northern Star, Sept. 28, 2007

NIU President John G. Peters announced his hopes for NIU's future during his 2007 State of the University Address on Thursday.

Peters recalled the forming of a strategic planning process and explained how the task force is going to proceed on both the university and individual college and departmental level.

"For those issues that cross college and department lines, I am establishing university-level task forces to evaluate suggestions and create action plans," Peters said. "When these groups have completed their work, they will be discharged and their recommendations integrated into a specific, university-level plan."

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Have a safe day!

Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional training
This course will teach you about PDF files and help you quickly identify components of the Acrobat interface. You will learn how to create PDF documents and more. Deadline to enroll is Wednesday, Oct. 3.

Word 2003: Introduction Oct. 10
Learn to create, edit, format and add tables to basic business documents with Word 2003 through this training course. For more information, please visit the Web site.

Sexual harassment training Oct. 9, 10
The Office of Professional & Organization Development offers sexual harassment training for FNAL employees on Oct. 9. Training for managers and supervisors is on Oct. 10. Training only will be offered once this fall. It is intended to raise awareness of issues surrounding workplace sexual harassment discrimination. Employees can find more information and enroll on-line here. Supervisors or managers can enroll here.

Wellness brown bag seminar Oct. 5
Wellness Works and the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade will present a Brown Bag Seminar from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5, in One West. Susan Broy, M.D. from the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute LLC will present "Fit to a T," an educational program about bone health and osteoporosis.

Fright Fest discounted tickets
Buy tickets now for Fermilab Fright Fest Days at Six Flags Oct. 19-21. Tickets are $25.25 each and available at the Recreation Office, WH15W. If you cannot attend the Fermilab days, ask about other special savings for other weekends.

FNALU inbound e-mail stopped Oct. 1
Direct e-mail delivery to FNALU nodes stopped on Oct. 1. This change only affects delivery, not how or where mail is read. Unless directed otherwise, forwarded mail will move to the IMAP servers. Users should move their existing mail folders to IMAP. Please read the FAQ for further details. Please contact the help desk at x2345 if you have additional questions.

Exciting Explorations fall program
Exciting Explorations will take place the following dates: Monday, Oct. 8 (Columbus Day); Monday, Nov. 19; and Tuesday, Nov. 20. Additional days may be added if interest warrants. The cost is $35 per day per child. Two snacks and beverages are included. Lunch is not provided. Please call Patti or Mary Simmons at x3762 to register. Send an e-mail to request additional days.

Scottish Country Dancing tonight
Scottish Country Dancing will meet tonight at Kuhn Barn on the Fermilab site, moving back to the Barn for the fall season. Instruction begins at 7:30 p.m. and newcomers always are welcome. Most dances are fully taught and walked through. You do not need to come with a partner. More information is available by calling (630) 840-8194 or (630) 584-0825 or e-mailing folkdance@fnal.gov.

International Folk Dancing Oct. 4
International Folk Dancing will meet Thursday, Oct. 4, at Kuhn Barn on the Fermilab site. Dancing begins at 7:30 p.m. with teaching and children's dances earlier in the evening and request dancing later on. Newcomers are welcome. You do not need to come with a partner. More information is available by calling (630) 840-8194 or (630) 584-0825 or e-mailing folkdance@fnal.gov.

Additional Activities