As part of this year’s multi-Lab safety week, the Lab will be hosting what might be its first escape room challenge. Ayla Quesada, Drills, Training, and Exercise Coordinator in the Security and Emergency Services Division, was challenged to design a program of hands-on safety-related activities for the safety week.
“The idea behind the fair is to help people prepare for an emergency in an interactive and engaging way,” said Ayla. “We have an earthquake simulator to show people what it feels like to go through an earthquake. And then we will give them hands-on practice with things like using a fire extinguisher, performing CPR and applying an AED, or using a tourniquet to stop traumatic bleeding.”
And what about the escape room? “The scenario is that a scientist at Berkeley Lab has invented an innovative earthquake detection tool, but it’s locked away, and we don’t have the lock combo. You and your team need to use clues from what you’ve learned at the other stations to unlock this innovative earthquake detection tool.”
James Newman, a program manager in EH&S, consulted with Ayla on the escape room. He has been involved in escape rooms for years and is a proponent of them, both for the unique learning experience and for building teams.
“Games help develop teams. Playing together against the game is a better experience than playing against each other. At the Lab, we sometimes forget we are all on the same team, and escape rooms are a great way to practice working as a team.”
The hands-on portion of the safety fair will be Friday, June 13, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Points are awarded for each completed station, so pick up your passport booklet in Building 71, room 268, or Building 47, room 106A, before getting started. The earthquake simulator, fire extinguisher demonstration, go bag station, and escape room will be at Building 71. The Stop the Bleed and CPR/AED demonstration will be in room 6 of Building 47.
