2. Before
You Arrive
This stage takes you from having your
proposal approved and scheduling beam
time to arriving on site. By completing
these steps well in advance, you will
have a smoother, more productive visit.
Before you begin your neutron scattering
activities at ORNL, you must register
with the Neutron Scattering Science
Division User Office, obtain an ORNL
badge, which will admit you to the
ORNL. Training requirements will
be provided to you: some of these web-based
courses must be completed before arrival
and other training will occur at ORNL. A
signed user agreement from the sponsoring
institution must be on file in the
Users Office.
To make the most efficient use of
your time at ORNL, please notify the Users
Office of your impending arrival
as early as possible by telephone (865-241-5644),
e-mail neutronusers@ornl.gov,
or fax (865-576-0174).
Please note that for non-U.S.
citizens, we must obtain special
permission from the U.S. Department
of Energy for SNS entry, which can
take up to eight weeks.
For directions, maps, and additional
information about visiting ORNL, see
the Visitor
Info page.
If you're visiting from outside the
Oak Ridge area, check out the local
area information for visitors
and newcomers.
Site Access
ORNL is a U.S. Department of Energy
national laboratory; access to ORNL
is controlled by DOE and DOE policies. Acceptance
of an experiment proposal does not
imply approval for access.
Access will be provided to physical
areas and information systems necessary
for the conduct of the experiment. Access
is dependent on successful completion
of necessary training and receipt of
approval for access from the appropriate
facility or space manager. Access
to physical areas requiring special
training may be controlled by proximity
cards. User access for all HFIR
and SNS experiments will be administered
by the Neutron Scattering Science User
Office.
The process for access approval will
generally begin after the proposal
is accepted. In some cases, processing
of this approval may take 8 weeks for
users who are citizens of certain countries. This
information will be requested of you
via email.
SNS
Target Facility Access Training
Training
All users are required to successfully complete training needed to perform their experiment safely. Specific training requirements will be identified for facility access and for each instrument or user area, i.e., laboratories, preparation areas, etc. The facilities may require users to take periodic refresher training of some courses. Some of the training may be performance-based which will require users to successfully demonstrate their knowledge and skill in performing needed activities. Users will not be allowed to perform functions or access areas for which they have not successfully completed training and have been given approval for access. Selected training will be available electronically for users to take prior to their arrival at ORNL. Up to date training will be required for access to all facilities. All users who are allocated beam time are expected to successfully complete training needed to perform their experiment safely.
Certain training must be completed electronically before arrival. After you have been approved for site access, you will be advised of the training requirements and the information needed for accessing the web-based training. It is vital that all web-based training be completed before arrival at ORNL, as some of these courses are prerequisites for performance-based training you will receive on the day of your arrival.
The following web-based courses are required as a minimum for new users:
- ORNL Site Access Training is required for unescorted access to ORNL.
- SNS Target Facility Access Training is required for Target Facility access.
- General User Access Training for Neutron Scattering Users is required for HFIR building access.
- Radiological Worker Training for HFIR and SNS Users has two components, the first is web-based theory and the second is a practical factors evaluation. After completion of the web-based radiological worker training, new users are required to complete a practical factors evaluation. The evaluations are conducted each day Monday – Friday at 9:00 a.m. at the SNS. Classes start promptly at 9:00. If you arrive after 9:00 a.m, you must wait until the next day to take the class. All training must be completed before beginning an experiment.
Retraining is required every two years for each of these courses.
Preparations for the Experiments
Sample Management and Preparation
All samples will be tracked at both
HFIR and SNS and entered into their
respective tracking system. Sample
hazards must be identified in the proposal
process; further review will be carried
out during the experiment approval
and review processes. A sample
management plan must be proposed by
the user and approved by the respective
facility before the start of the experiment.
Both facilities will store the samples
that arrive prior to the arrival of
the users; users are responsible for
shipping samples to the facility in
accordance with relevant federal, state,
and local laws and regulations, and
applicable facility and ORNL policies
and procedures. All samples
will be surveyed for their level of
radioactivity at the time of removal
from the experimental apparatus and
will be stored on-site if the level
of activity prohibits their removal
from the building. The facility
will store the samples after the experiment
until they can be safely shipped to
the user. While at the facility,
all samples will be managed and handled
according to the Neutron Sciences Directorate’s
policies and procedures. If a
user and/or user institution is unable
to accept a sample after the experiment,
special arrangements, up to and including
payment of disposal or shipping fees,
will need to be made according to established
ORNL policies and procedures. Facility
staff will determine when the samples
and user-supplied equipment can be
returned to users after completion
of their experiment. Samples
may only be stored at the facility
for a limited period of time with explicit
agreement from the NSSD ES&H Manager.
All wastes, including sample wastes,
will be disposed of according to ORNL
policies and procedures.
Each instrument will have its own
capabilities to prepare samples. Contact
the appropriate instrument scientist
for more details.
Shipping and Receiving
Please contact the appropriate instrument
scientist for guidance on these issues.
Local Arrangements
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