Safety Notices

Fatigue
August 2011
Sleep deprivation and the resulting fatigue can adversely affect manual dexteri- ty, reaction time, alertness, and judgment, resulting in people putting themselves and their co-workers at risk.

Liquid-Gas Cylinder Handtruck Awareness
May 2011
Failure of a spring assembly can result in a loss of control, allowing the Dewar to become separated from the hand truck, leading to a very dangerous situation.

Safe Transport of Hazardous Materials
February 2011
APS users are reminded that hazardous materials, including samples, cannot be packed in personal luggage and brought on public transport.

Electrical Incidents
September 2010
Two minor electrical incidents in the past months at the APS resulted in a minor shock from inadequately grounded equipment, and a damaged stainless steel waterline when an arc occurred between the waterline and defective heat tape.

Hand InjuryRecent Hand Injuries
Three APS employees have suffered serious hand injuries within the past six months. Each employee worked for a different APS division and the cause of the injuries differed in each case. All three injuries resulted in restricted work duties and, in one case, time away from work. Fortunately, the wounds suffered by all three employees have healed properly and without complication.

A smoky outlet.Electrical Short Circuits
Three "close-call" electrical-short events occurred at Argonne within the past six months. All involved shorts across the prongs of electrical plugs inserted into energized receptacles. While no shocks or injuries resulted, and equipment damage was minor, the potential for injury was very real. Each event was reported to the Department of Energy.

APS workersSafety Shoes Requirement Changes
The requirement of wearing safety shoes for general occupancy on the APS storage ring mezzanine has been lifted. Safety glasses and a TLD are still required for all personnel when on the mezzanine.

Photo of drilling for a high voltage sign. If theres energized, high-voltage equipment on the other side, this is wrong, wrong, wrong!Simple Changes Can Be Hazardous
Improvements need to be considered in light of their capacity for creating new or changed hazards.

Bad Idea Hall of Fame #1: A coffee cup on a source of lead.Safe Handling of Lead
The main source of lead at the APS is from bulk shielding materials in the form of lead bricks, lead shot, and lead sheets. Those employees and resident users who routinely handle significant amounts of lead are identified via their job hazards questionnaire; appropriate training, monitoring, procedures, and controls are enacted to minimize exposure to lead.

Photo: Hes dressed for success with LN2!Liquid Nitrogen Safety
Common handling of liquid nitrogen (LN2) involves transferring the material from one storage container to another. This activity can be hazardous if proper precautions are not taken.