Property Management (SUP-2) is reminding employees and subcontract workers of their responsibilities regarding government property.
“Every worker at the Laboratory is responsible for government personal property, which is assigned to them to perform their job,” said John Tapia of SUP-2. “Government personal property is any property - except real estate, buildings and infrastructure - that has been procured using government funds. The National Nuclear Security Administration and the Lab are particularly concerned with the management of controlled property. Controlled property is identified by a U.S. government barcode tag, which is applied to sensitive property and equipment. It is always a good idea for every employee to routinely check his or her property accountability statement to ensure that they know what personal property has been assigned to them.”
Proper management of assigned personal property is a requirement in the prime operating contract between the University of California and the NNSA/DOE. But more than that, said Tapia, good property management is an essential part of being good stewards of taxpayer dollars as well as promoting sound business practices at the Laboratory.
Lab employees assigned personal property have responsibilities as a property custodian. Those responsibilities include maintaining a current property accountability statement, which can be viewed online. Employees should sign their accountability statement each time new property is assigned to them, and they must validate their statement at least once a year, Tapia said.
“Sometimes there are instances where an employee who is retiring or changing organizations will assign property to someone else in their former organization without telling the person to whom the property is assigned,” he said. “Of course, no one should assign property to someone without letting the other person know, and a person is not obligated to accept property just because someone wants to assign it. Using an accountability statement, a person can accept or reject newly assigned or newly purchased property, and this is why it’s a good idea to check your accountability statement regularly.”
Employees should report any discrepancies in accountability statements to their property administrator. A list of administrators can be found at http://sup.lanl.gov/Property/group online. In addition, employees should immediately contact their property administrator if property is lost, stolen or damaged. A missing item checklist must be forwarded to Audits and Assessments (AA) Division within 24 hours of the discovery, and a property administrator can assist the employee in properly preparing the checklist. Property administrators also need to be notified before moving property to another location, before ending employment or before dismantling property.
Employees who want to simplify their property lists may wish to salvage unneeded or obsolete property. Property may be salvaged by any of the following methods:
* To begin the disposal process for barcoded property, as well as any machinery, electronic, or computer equipment, contact your property administrator.
* To salvage furniture and office supplies, write to salvage@lanl.gov by electronic mail and request a pickup or contact your property administrator.
* To dispose of scrap/recyclables (paper products, metals, waste oil, batteries, aerosol cans, fluorescent lamp ballasts, etc) contact wastenot@lanl.gov or a waste management coordinator at http://fwo-swo.lanl.gov/wmc online.
* To dispose of hazardous, universal, New Mexico special, low-level, or mixed low-level waste and unused chemicals, contact a waste management coordinator at http://fwo-swo.lanl.gov/wmc online.
For additional assistance with property management issues, contact SUP-2 at 5-3230 or write to lanlproperty@lanl.gov by electronic mail.
