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Na#onal Radio Astronomy Observatory 

Robert N. Daniels, CSP ES&S Manager, NRAO Charlo@esville, VA 

Path Forward to Safety Improvement

NRAO is a Dynamic Organization Heavy Maintenance workload

• VLBA is mature and remote • GBT is extremely large

– Many GB facilities are quite old – much maintenance is required – A long winter season means that outside maintenance is weather limited

• VLA is mature and growing at the same time (EVLA)

– New equipment installation – Heavy maintenance load on mature antennas

Project Driven Resource Demands

• ALMA – Construction of facilities and Antennas is simultaneous – We will begin data collection with first capability (Vertex 1)

• Construction vs Operations – Each makes demands on us – Our resource pool is smaller than the demand for it – Prioritization is a necessity

• Our work force continues to age & turn over – net loss of experience is good and bad

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NRAO – New Mexico

Very Long Baseline Array

Very Large Array

Science Operations Center

Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA)

•  Ten Sta#ons 

•  Remote loca#ons 

•  Fully mature assets 

•  ~5 year rota#on  

4/20/09

Audits Process for VLBA

•  Couple Audits with scheduled (“routine”) maintenance

•  Accompany NM based “Maintenance Teams” •  Full Facility Audit – Environmental, Safety and

Security coverage •  Spreadsheet based follow up •  Experienced Auditors (Industrial/Manufacturing

Experience coupled with Certification)

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VLBA Issues •  Sta#ons are quite remote and small 

–  no logis#cal support onsite or nearby –  require  drive in capability – May need AWD and no public transport –  Extended travel to conduct the audit – typically 2  to 3 days of travel 

required •  Maintenance teams (aka “Tiger Teams”) arrive to do maximum business  in 

a minimum amount of #me –  Compressed schedule –  OUen heavy workload ‐ extended hours –  Significant amounts of risk (Elevated, cri#cal liUing, etc.) 

•  Delays introduced by ES&S Personnel audi#ng are intrusive •  Only 2 Staff at each facility to operate & support the Cycle •  Very experienced employees on the maintenance team and in the facility  

–  Have been doing the work “this way” with great success for a career. See no need to change 

–  Well ingrained habits are the most difficult to change –  We have a window of opportunity while new employees arrive 

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Very Large Array (VLA) In service since 1980

Inspec#ng a 25 M VLA Antenna in the Antenna Barn via LiU 230 tons and nearly 100 Ft tall 

Moving a VLA Antenna Without Using a Train!

Audits Process for VLA

•  Done on a Monthly basis by the facility Safety Officer with Ops par#cipa#on 

•  Heavy Risk Area Audits are scheduled when ES&S Manager can support (Antenna Barn, Petrol Storage Tanks, etc) 

•  Full Facility Audit – Environmental, Safety and Security are all audited –  Permits include  PSTB & Air –  Status is Small Qty Gen –  Range of Safety Risks is broad 

•  Audits process is conducted so as to minimize intrusions but op#mize for quality (efficient) 

•  Follow up is done through Site Safety Commi@ees and Management 

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VLA Issues and •  79 Miles of RR Track 

–  Dual track on the bed –  require  drive in capability – no public transport (site uses a shu@le) –  Very large area of coverage 

•  Provides support to VLBA for Maintenance, Opera#ons & ES&S –  Mechanics & Technicians can be pulled away to support VLBA needs –  Increased workload for those who remain – poten#al for temporary loss of cri#cal 

exper#se to another facility •  Significant amounts of risk (Elevated, cri#cal liUing, etc.) 

–  27 Antennas (25 Meter) –  Steerable (drives, gears, hi power, hi precision parts) 

•  Extremely broad range  of work from Antenna structural & RR Maintenance to micro‐electronics , lasers and cryo lab 

•  Only 1 Safety Officer located at the VLA – Another at SOC (NM Tech Campus) •  Very experienced employees on the maintenance team and in the facility  

–  Have been doing the work “this way” with great success for a career.                      See no need to change 

–  Well ingrained habits are the most difficult to change –  We have a window of opportunity while new employees are arriving 

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Pete V. Domenici Science Operations Center

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Audits Process for SOC

•  Audits are rou#nely held on a monthly basis w/Opera#ons 

•  ES&S Manager may a@end in any month and can a@end on request 

•  Facility is a tenant of NM Tech –  No Permits – Minimal Hazardous Waste Genera#on (non‐Generator) –  Range of Safety Risks is limited with heavy laser & electronic exposure (laser light, solvents, heat, etc) plus typical office hazards and risks 

•  Follow up is done through Site Safety Commi@ees and with Management and ES&S involvement 

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SOC Issues •  Maintenance is handled by Owner 

–  We cannot control priority –  During business hours the “Open Campus” academic approach to security can 

be a problem –  Two buildings in use are separated by some distance 

•  Provides support to VLBA for Maintenance, Opera#ons and ES&S –  Electronics Technicians & Engineers can be pulled away to support VLBA needs –  Increased workload for those who remain – poten#al for temporary loss of 

cri#cal exper#se to another facility •  Somewhat broad range  of work from typical office work to micro‐electronics , 

laser development and cryo lab.  •  Only 1 Safety Officer located at SOC (NM Tech Campus) and he is part #me there 

–  Covers VLBA needs –  Supports at VLA as well –  Academic Community interface 

•  Very experienced employees in the facility  –  Have been doing the work “this way” with great success for a career...See no 

need to change now –  Well ingrained habits are the most difficult to change –  We have a window of opportunity while new employees arrive 

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The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope

The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope 555 feet 5 1/8 inches 

305 U 

485 feet  

Audits Process for GBT

•  Audits are rou#nely held on an annual basis w/Opera#ons •  Check List Driven •  Typically involve several days and are led by Safety Officer 

•  ES&S Manager a@ends  •  Facility is completely self contained 

–  Cafeteria, Dormitory, Apartments and individual homes –  Recrea#onal facili#es for Employees, visi#ng Scien#sts & Guests –  Sewer Permit (WW Treatment by Lagoon) no excursions since Jan 2007 –  Small Quan#ty Hazardous Waste Genera#on  –  Range of Safety Risks is very broad – requires broad audits background 

•  Heavy machining •  Wide range of chemical and cryo hazards •  Cri#cal liUing, elevated work is extreme  •  Wide variety of Antenna facili#es to manage 

•  Follow up is done through Site Safety Commi@ees and with Management and ES&S involvement 

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GBT Issues •  Maintenance is handled by Site Operator (we do it) 

–  GB Management must determine priority in light of the mission and “other” variables –  There is public access (48,000 visitors in 2008) to the facility and leU unwatched, security could 

grow to be a problem  –  Site is quite remote – many services are not available locally 

•  Provides support to the rest of NRAO and ALMA –  Fabricates parts and machinery –  Support projects with technology and people 

•  Very broad range  of work from typical office work to micro‐electronics  and cryo lab in addi#on to the heavy work done in support of the GBT 

–  Elevated safety (~4 year pain#ng cycle)  –  Extremely heavy machinery to drive (~17,000,000 lbs of moving weight) –  Loca#on presents unique difficulty in that the winter weather is harsh –  GBT is very sensi#ve to electrical noise and much effort is expended to control it (NRQZ/WVRQZ) 

•  Only 1 Safety Officer located at GBT –  Covers a por#on of Charlo@esville/NTC needs –  Supports the Jansky Lab for ES&S needs –  Supports Academic Community interface 

•  Very experienced employees in the facility  –  Have been doing the work “this way” with great success for a career...See no need to change now. –  Well ingrained habits are the most difficult to change –  We have a window of opportunity while new employees arrive 

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Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)

NRAO ES&S Contributions to ALMA

•  System safety reviews and Safety Manual Support

•  Hazard Identification and Risk Mitigation for various systems •  Front and Back End •  General Laser Safety •  US & other Manufacturing Centers Safety •  Resolution of specific safety problems •  Coordination of US/EU/CH Safety Standards

•  Security Assessments & Support for the ALMA project operations in VA & NM

•  Safety consultation for the ALMA Project (Project Safety Officer, IPT’s and Project Management Team) includes International standards rationalization

•  Safety Support to NTC Front End Integration Center (Audits, OSHA Concerns, Safety Consultation)

ALMA Issues

•  Remote Location – Extended travel time ~ 4 days

•  Harsh Climate – High Altitude, low humidity –  What works for radio astronomy doesn’t always work as well for people!

•  Cultural Diversity –  Language differences –  Customs and concerns –  Differences in food requirements

•  Many different interests in JAO –  Different Observatories partnered –  Different Companies with some different interests

A General Dynamics 12 M Antenna Taking a ride on the ALMA Transporter 

ALMA •  JAO is building a small city at 3000 Meters & a

neighboring Antenna “city” at 5000. – Lighting, Services, Roads and Infrastructure of all

sorts – Many cultures, many companies and organizations – NRAO is a Partner providing resources and

technology

•  NRAO ES&S group continues to provide support to the ALMA Team as requested.

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So….The problem Observatory wide is…. 

•  Mul#ple Major Projects (ALMA & EVLA) coupled with . . .  

•  Aging Infrastructure . . .1956 at Greenbank, WV and 1980 at the VLA near Magdalena, NM 

•  The Working popula#on is “losing service “ (experience)   faster than it is gaining it due to rou#ne turnover and some early re#rement coupled with project driven growth 

•  Training processes have become nearly “appren#ceships” and are mostly OJT – they are technically rigorous but not well documented around safety 

•  EHS Resources are stretched to the limit by travel distance, breadth of knowledge requirements coupled with increasing complexity of inves#ga#on requirements 

2.07 

3.17 

1.50 

2.08  2.09 

1.32 

2.64 

0.90 

1.49 1.61 

0.00 

0.50 

1.00 

1.50 

2.00 

2.50 

3.00 

3.50 

2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 

OSHA Freq 

OSHA DART 

Linear(OSHA DART) 

OSHA Freq & Dart NRAO Wide

One Picture is worth a thousand words

We may have reached a plateau in terms of injury performance

The Program and Objectives:

•  2009 – Develop, document and deliver Hazard Identification

and Risk Mitigation (JSA process) training to all primary groups (Mechanics, Technicians plus some Professionals)

–  Status: Training is now being reviewed by Observatory Safety Officers We expect to begin delivery in June, 2009 at the VLA and follow with GBT in August/September Time Frame

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•  2009 (Cont’d) – Transfer Inspections process to a common format. –  Status: VLA Inspections on a per building/per month

basis. VLA Safety Training system to be revised in 2009 to include routine refresh with documentation confirmed by training records audits (annually).

–  Move GBT to a monthly Safety Inspection Process vice the current Annual Site Wide Inspection

–  Status: Will conduct the Comprehensive Inspection this Spring and determine a timeline with GBT Management for the changes to begin after Hazard Identification/ Risk Mitigation training is complete

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