Storm preparation and recovery is a team effort for everyone at Berkeley Lab, especially the Lab’s Operations divisions. While the Facilities Division takes on a large portion of the work, several divisions provide critical support to ensure the continuation of Lab operations. 

  • Security and Emergency Services (SES) helps maintenance technicians walk buildings and SES’s Site Operations Center (SOC) fields hazard calls from across the Lab. 
  • Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) assists with hazard assessments, including dispatching electrical safety officers to assess electrical safety hazards for responders and occupants after water incursions. 
  • The Procurement team stands ready to expedite purchase orders to ensure that repair vendors can quickly respond to service calls.
  • Everyone at the Lab should report storm damage and hazards (water incursion, downed trees, etc.) immediately to the SOC at (510) 486-6999.

Facilities employees dedicated more than 150 hours to storm-related services on the Lab’s hill site last week. Below is a snapshot — by the numbers — of the work that goes into recovering from one storm.

  • More than 31 Facilities employees responded to various service calls with the most recent storm. This does not include additional support provided by Facilities Area Managers, planners, construction managers, service vendors, and engineers.
  • Thirty-two roof leaks triaged by Plant Maintenance Technicians (PMTs). 
  • Seven clogged inlets and roadway or walkway clean-up situations being handled by the Labor Shop and Gardeners. 
  • Two fallen trees removed, with a third tree removed as a precautionary measure.
  • One parking Lot (U5) blocked off due to landslide concerns.

The storms aren’t over and the Facilities team, with their Operations partners, are preparing for the next round. This proactive engagement includes:

  • Monitoring round-the-clock active roof leaks and problem areas, including hillside and slope stability.
  • Tracking real-time storm-related service calls to evaluate, prioritize, and respond promptly.
  • Partnering with the SOC and EHS to coordinate reporting incidents and sharing resources.
  • Working with the Procurement group to expedite key vendor purchase orders so that they can quickly respond to service calls.
  • Inventorying and ensuring adequate emergency supplies and equipment are available for use.
  • Placing staff on standby so that they can be available to provide additional support during off-hours.
  • Daily monitoring of weather forecasts to review readiness and plan accordingly.

Storm preparedness and recovery is the responsibility of everyone at the Lab. Be aware of the potential hazards, report all hazards to the SOC, and above all, do not enter a flooded workspace or any area with standing water. 

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