Learning Teams @ LBNL

What are Learning Teams?

Learning Teams are small groups of employees and subject matter experts who come together to investigate work conditions for one simple purpose - to understand why things work the way they do.

Learning Teams aim to identify strengths and positive practices that can be encouraged rather than to just fix problems reactively.  These teams provide opportunities for making sense of incidents, finding patterns, and building shared understanding of both routine work and off-normal events.  

Completed Learning Team Summaries and Recommendations

Title Description                                                                                                                                                                                       Link


Personnel   LBNL uses LabAlert (Everbridge) to communicate emergency information including required       Key Findings - Personnel 

Accountability    protective actions, and is required to test this capability during quarterly drills.  Low response     Accountability
Lab Alert)              rates indicate that critical emergency messaging may not reach a significant portion of the 
                                  Lab population, presenting a life safety concern.  



Liquids in            Custodial staff reported the discovery of an unknown liquid in trash bags inside a laboratory.       Key Findings - Liquids in Trash Bags

Trash Bags          Liquids in laboratories are not supposed to be discarded in regular trash containers. 

                                Custodial staff did not know what the liquids were, and they did not know if these

                                materials were dangerous or not. Unknown liquids in trash bags throughout lab areas 

                                could harm custodial staff.



Possible              A researcher felt lightheaded after encountering what they believed to be a nitrogen gas leak       Key Findings - Possible Nitrogen Leak
Nitrogen             in a laboratory in Building 2. An air hose leak was mistakenly believed to be a nitrogen leak. 

Leak                     



Blower                 The goal of this Learning Team was to improve/standardize communications between PMs            Key Findings - Blower Shutdown

Shutdown          who turn off  safety systems and Facilities Crafts/occupants of the buildings when PMs           

                                perform work that could impact occupants and activities.



PTHA Form        Currently, LBNL lacks daily direction for escorted/unescorted site observer/inspector visitors        Key Findings- PTHA Form 

for Observers   to perform a briefing on scope, hazards and controls (ISM). This team met to consider the need 

Inspectors        for anyone doing work observations or inspections to be on a separate PTHA, the work they are 

                                observing’s PTHA, or some other method.


CMS 2.0.              Understand and improve the current state of CMS 2.0 by interfacing with system users                      Key Finding - CMS 2.0. Assessment

Assessment       (stakeholders). The findings from this assessment provide potential next steps in refining
the system to facilitate our users' needs and improve overall chemical management practices.



Learning Team Resources 

Use this template to summarize
your Learning Team findings 

Read this Guidance Document to learn more about how to conduct Learning Team investigations

Facilitator Training

Click on this link to access online Learning Teams facilitator training (optional) 






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