Solar Powered LED

To get from Bldg. 490 to the parking lot after sundown, employees had to walk along an unlit path. With no power supply nearby, the cost of installing lights could have been prohibitive. By installing solar-powered LED lights, the dark pathway was illuminated, helping the employees avoid slips, trips, and falls after dark.

Beamline Robot

At the X-ray powder diffraction beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source II, scientists devised a way to avoid directly handling radioactive samples. By using a robot, scientists can move samples into place more quickly and with greater precision, improving the reliability and safety of the sample processing, as well as use of valuable beam time at the Light Source.

4-Posters

Reducing the prevalence of deer ticks on the Lab site is a top priority for the Environmental Protection Division (EPD). Ticks carry disease, and deer are a primary vector for spreading ticks.

Tim Green and EPD devised a program using 4-poster stands with insecticide to combat ticks on local deer. The deer visit the 4-poster stands to feed, and while there they rub up against the pesticide. The result is a safer, healthier Lab site.

These EPD employees spoke up. They saw an opportunity, offered a solution, and got management support. Their voices were heard.

Parking Lot Barrier

The Machine Shop staff worked with the Traffic Safety Committee to come up with a solution to prevent delivery trucks from rolling unimpeded across a parking lot and into their shop.

Now, truck drivers see the high visibility barricade as they approach the area, and the risk of an automobile accident and damage from a rolling truck is greatly reduced.

These Brookhaven Lab employees spoke up. They saw an opportunity, offered a solution, and got management support. Their voices were heard.

Preferred Pesticides

Andrew Kuroski and Erik Dalen work in pest control at the Lab. By attending conferences and seminars, they learn the latest tools and tactics for their field. They found improved ways to reduce the tick population problem on the Lab grounds—and ticks are carriers for many diseases, including Lyme. These Brookhaven Lab employees spoke up. They saw an opportunity, offered a solution, and got management support. Their voices were heard.

Superior Spray Solution

Rob Holland of Central Fabrication Services produces specialized precision tools and parts for use by researchers at Brookhaven Lab. Previously, the spindle on the horizontal milling machine was cooled by jets of lubricant spraying at 300 pounds per square inch. The work area was wet and slippery and Rob had to use a step-stool to reach into the machine to manually adjust the water jets by hand. Then he had an idea: install remote-controlled spray nozzles to keep himself well clear of the tool. Now with this improved tool, he’s working more efficiently, more cleanly, more safely. This Brookhaven Lab employee spoke up. He saw an opportunity, offered a solution, and got management support. His voice was heard.

Paperless Periodical Processing

Subscriptions were a paper-driven process at the Research Library. Then its Technical Services team realized line organizations could handle memberships and subscription orders with a digital solution — a People-Soft module — which put control into users’ hands. Research Library Technical Services, Accounts Payable, and the Information Technology Division’s Applications staff determined functional, fiscal, and technical needs, and a new online module went live in October 2014. These Brookhaven Lab employees spoke up. They saw an opportunity, offered a solution, and got management support. Their voices were heard.