Safe, secure, and efficient operations are an integral part of the Laboratory’s research and development program and underpin their success. All employees are accountable for their actions, and they are expected to perform their work safely and securely and follow sound business practices. Experts in environment, safety, and health are embedded in each of the Laboratory’s organizations to provide day-to-day support. Other analysts, technicians, engineers, and specialists with Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality Assurance provide support to all Laboratory activities. Similarly, the Business Directorate, Chief Financial Officer Organization, Strategic Human Capital Management, and Safeguards and Security keep the Laboratory’s programs and facilities running securely and efficiently and attend to the diverse needs of LLNL’s workforce.
Five overarching strategies reflect Laboratory priorities
for operations.
Safety
is a Top Priority.
Environmental, health, and safety (ES&H) considerations are an integral part
of project planning and work execution at the Laboratory. The health and safety
of the public and Livermore employees are of paramount importance—as is
the environmental quality. The Laboratory has put into place effective systems
and procedures, which are continually improved, to assure that safety standards
are met. Livermore’s Integrated Safety Management System provides a framework
through which safety procedures and practices have markedly improved—as
has safety performance.
A Commitment
to Strengthened Security. Protection of sensitive information, nuclear materials, and other valuable assets at LLNL is critically important. An extensive apparatus is in place, and upgrades are continually made in cyber security, material control and accountability, counterintelligence, and physical protection to address new threats and concerns. The Laboratory has routinely functioned under heightened security levels since September 11, 2001. Effective implementation of LLNL’s Integrated Safeguards and Security Management System ensures that all employees are properly trained and held accountable for their actions. The Security Organization strives for continual improvements and has received positive evaluations recent external reviews of Laboratory safeguards and security.
Responsible
Environmental Management. The Laboratory is responsible for providing a safe, clean environment for its employees and neighboring communities, and Livermore programs must comply with
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the California Environmental Quality
Act, and related federal and state requirements. Livermore’s Site Annual
Environmental Report summarizes the results of environmental monitoring and provides
an assessment of the impact of Laboratory operations on the environment and the
public. Routine operations at Livermore generate hazardous waste and they must
be managed in a safe and compliant manner. The Laboratory’s new Decontamination
and Waste Treatment Facility is enhancing our ability to provide safe, cost-effective
waste operations and clean up legacy waste. In addition, considerable work has
been done to remediate soil and groundwater contamination at the Laboratory’s
main site and Site 300 to meet community interests and satisfy regulatory requirements
under Federal Facility Agreements. Specific actions to characterize and clean
up contaminated areas under way that have been negotiated and agreed to with
the regulators and stakeholders.
Efficient
Business Practices.
Within the framework of performance-based management, the Laboratory has achieved
significant improvements in the quality of its business and administrative performance.
In particular, through benchmarking good practices and industry norms, continually
finding better ways to gauge performance, and identifying specific areas that
warrant improvement, Livermore has markedly enhanced cost efficiency, service
timeliness, and work quality of operations. The more efficient and effective
business systems that the Laboratory has implemented carefully balance cost control
with business risks.
Strategic
Institutional Investments.
The streamlining of business practices has led to cost reductions that benefit
Laboratory programs and sponsors and enable the institution to meet strategic
investment needs—in people and in the Laboratory’s infrastructure.
Investments in people are investments in Livermore’s future. The Laboratory
supports training, education, and career development programs for individuals
that help them accomplish their current work and meet their needs for growth
by preparing them for future assignments. In addition, Livermore reinvests to
meet specific objectives directed at strengthening the Laboratory’s scientific
and technical base and addressing critical infrastructure and facility needs.