Scientific Safety and Collaboration Alliance (SSCA)

A resource for knowledge sharing between working scientists and researchers.

A common complaint by scientists at LBNL, including some with 20+ years’ experience is, “I know there are people here that could help, but I don’t know how to find them!” To make it easier and safer to begin unfamiliar work, especially for those new to LBNL, the Scientific Safety and Collaboration Alliance was started. The website and the members are not intended to replace Integrated Safety Management (ISM) or Work Planning & Control processes (WPC).

Some of the ways you might use this website include:

• Identifying new scientific collaborators

• Incorporating other scientists in work planning, e.g. adding a peer Contributor while developing a new Work Planning & Control Activity

• Performing a “sanity check” on an observation or research plan with an experienced colleague

Identify the topics and Volunteer Collaborator(s) whose experience is closest to your interest

Basic research before contacting a Collaborator(s) is expected. Do not treat this like Wikipedia.

Two ways of getting in contact with Volunteer Collaborators:

• If Volunteer Collaborator prefers to be contacted directly, their contact information will be listed on the website. Please respect their preferences on contact and describe your needs concisely so that they can spend no more than 15 minutes on an initial phone call or email reply.

OR

•  If Volunteer Collaborator prefers an intake form be filled out, their contact information will NOT be listed on the website. Instead the Inquiring Collaborator looking for assistance will fill out an interest form. This form will collect information that will be sent to the Volunteer Collaborator by the site admin. 

The SSCA is not a substitute for proper work planning through the WPC Activity Manager.

If you landed here from the link in WPC Activity Manager, then you’re already on the right track!  But just in case you don’t already have a WPC Activity in the works, please be aware that you still need to go through WPC Activity Manager to document your work and controls and get appropriate work authorization before trying anything new.  Additionally, the collaborators here can’t authorize you to perform work.  Your supervisor (in conjunction with a properly authorized Activity) is still the only one who can authorize you to perform work, and you need to discuss any new work with your supervisor before starting.

SSCA is not a substitute for education and/or training.

Sometimes work is highly specialized and requires years of education and training to be able to perform safely and effectively.  Speaking with a Collaborator will not give you the skills required to perform certain types of work.

SSCA is not for day-to-day routine questions.

Collaboration through this alliance is primarily intended for work planning and not for day-to-day questions in order to limit the burden on the collaborators who have volunteered to be listed. For routine questions, please consult your supervisor or activity lead, where applicable, before contacting Collaborators.