Continuity of Accelerator Operations
for Jefferson Lab
7th International Workshop on Operations
Noel Okay
April 15, 2010

This talk to cover the following: Acute and chronic pandemic conditions
 Operational challenges during a chronic pandemicor period of high or prolonged absenteeism.

 Laboratory versus Operation’s continuity ofoperations plan Minimizing the spread of illness in the control room.

Acute versus Chronic Pandemic Conditions
Acute pandemic•••••

Very fast spread of illness
Declared medical emergency
Laboratory closure
Government restrictions on travel
Emphasis is on “social isolation”Chronic pandemic•••

Gradual increase in absenteeism
No declared medical emergency or government restrictions
on travel
Laboratory doesn’t close but absenteeism continues toincrease to a level that impacts minimum control room
staffing requirements

Reunion Island• Reunion Island experienced a prolonged period ofgrowing absenteeism that eventually brought the island toa virtual standstill in 2005.
• The chikungunya virus was gradually spread by mosquito
to ~255,000 of its ~774,000 population over a period few
weeks.
• No pandemic was initially declared and healthy people
continued to work.
• Eventually the island infrastructure came to a virtual
standstill when up to 30% of the work force was out sick.

Operations Needed a Continuity of Operations plan

• With the potential for an H1N1 outbreak in 2009 a plan
was needed to address continued accelerator operations
during periods of high absenteeism.
• The Jefferson Lab institutional pandemic plan did not
address operational issues such as minimum staffing
requirements, operational safety, and continued
accelerator operation.

Jefferson Lab pandemic plan
Addressed the typical work place environment and wasnot very applicable to control room operations.
•••
••
•

“Liberal leave” for employees
Meetings limited to 6 people
Work from Home or “social isolation”
Telecommuting
Sick staff wear masks
Disinfect facility before return from a lab closure

Operation’s plan•
•••
•
•
•

Extend working hours
Extend number of days on shift
Limit vacation
Stop accelerator operation for specific shifts and place the machine in “Hot Standby”
Stop beam delivery to one or more active experiments
Crew Chief “field promotion” for a Senior Operator that is advanced in their Crew
Chief training.
On a limited basis control room staffing can be reduced to one Crew Chief and one
Operator augmenting the shiftwith:o Previously qualified Crew Chiefs or Operatorso Accelerator physicist
o Injector System Owners or Subject Matter Expert
o RF System Owner or Subject Mater Expertg
o Magnet System Owner or Subject Matter Expert
o Safety System Owner or Subject Matter Expert
o Staff that have Radiation Monitor training

The Continuity of Operations Plan can also
be implemented for other scenarios.
• Inclement weather– Snow storms– Ice storms• Civil Unrest• Localized Natural Disasters such as:– Tornado– Costal flooding• Limited budget or hiring freeze• Multiple resignations or retirements• Operators lottery pool hits the big one!

Minimizing the spread of illness in thecontrol room environment
Administrative• “Social distancing” versus “social isolation”• Maintain 2 meters between coworkers when possible.
• Dedicated workstations separated by 3 meters.
• No sharing phones or chairs• Limit control room access to essential personnel• Minimize contact with sick people, strongly encouraging sick staff to go home
• Ops staff to receive first batch of vaccine• Assign common tasks such as Safety System Operator to just one person.
• Limit common food sharing, cooking and storage• Provide tissues, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes
Hygiene practices• Sanitize work station, phones and control knobs at the beginning and end ofeach shift.
• Issue Operators their own keyboard and mouse for common workstations.
• Encourage the frequent use hand sanitizer during the workday.
• Discourage handshaking or other physical contact between employees• Control sneezing and coughing

Center for Disease Control photo Credit: CDC/James Gathany

Sneezing can produce particles traveling up to 80 km/hr
Most heavy water particles drop to the ground within 2meters.

Summary• The typical accelerator control room is a unique environment withclosely interacting people using common workstations, controls andtelecommunications that can quickly transmit common illnesses. In theevent of chronic pandemic conditions additional administrative
protocol may need to be implemented to satisfy staffing shortages andminimize the potential for spreading illnesses in the control room.

• Develop a plan in advance that is tailored to your control room
environment and minimum staffing requirements.
• Proactively encourage control room staff to develop good hygiene
practices in advance of a pandemic• Provide tissues, masks and sanitizing supplies for control room staff.
• Train staff on your plan.