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.
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
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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