[labnetwork] After-hours work in cleanroom and laboratories

[Luciani, Vincent]

What a great topic to compare notes on.  Thanks for opening the door John.

Here at the CNST NanoFab NIST (Gaithersburg) we do much the same as everyone else.  I think, worry about, and address the afterhours lab work constantly.  Our situation and usage patterns are a bit different from a University environment but the safety concerns seem to be the same.

What we do:

*         We are staffed from 7 AM to midnight with 2 full time staff members after 6 PM.  Afterhours access is available via buddy system and advanced approval.

*         All areas are monitored/recorded by CCTV system.  The NIST Fire House has a monitor in their console.

*         Afterhours access must be approved in advance.  Our electronic access control system, by default, locks out everybody afterhours until we authorize and program each afterhours work session.

*         Afterhours requests are sent to a dedicated mailbox and must include an email confirmation from both buddies confirming their commitment to each other ( a past frequent failure mode).

*         The "Buddy System" is strictly enforced.  I randomly check access control data and CCTV logs to see if there is a scofflaw afoot.

*         We have a few imaging tools outside the cleanroom that I will allow (on a case-by-case basis) usage without a buddy.

*         Auto phone dialers alert me and the rest of the staff in the event of any kind of alarm.

So far, it is going well.

Opportunities for improvement:
Network and IT issues afterhours are a problem when they occur and will often stop users from getting work done.


Vince


Vincent K. Luciani
NanoFab Manager
Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology<http://www.cnst.nist.gov/>
National Institute of Standards and Technology
100 Bureau Drive, MS 6201
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-6200 USA
+1-301-975-2886
[Description: CNST Horztl Color logo]







From: labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu> [mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu] On Behalf Of Weaver, John R
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 8:41 AM
To: labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>
Subject: [labnetwork] After-hours work in cleanroom and laboratories

Due to some headcount reductions we are re-thinking our after-hours lab work. Previously we had trained "lab attendants" who watched over things until midnight, then required the "buddy system" after that. Now we are looking at just using the buddy system after 5:00 pm.

How do you handle things in your facility? Are you happy with the results?

Thanks in advance,
John

John R. Weaver
Facility Manager
Birck Nanotechnology Center
1205 West State Street
West Lafayette IN 47907
(765) 494-5494
jrweaver at purdue.edu<mailto:jrweaver at purdue.edu>
nano.purdue.edu



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