PS Staff Reward and Recognition
This is just a reminder that the deadline for submission of PS staff reward and recognition cases is Friday 26th February. There is also a further opportunity in May to submit cases and the deadline is Friday 28th May.
The link detailing all the information you need is here: https://portal.lancaster.ac.uk/intranet/services/people/pay-recognition-and-reward/professional-services-reward-and-recognition/
Cases are to be emailed to PSReward@lancaster.ac.uk, however, please copy in Lynne so we can keep track of the cases submitted. If anyone would prefer a sanity check on their case prior to submission then please let me know.
Lynne Haley & Shonah Ion
Parking Fines in Force
A quick heads up to everyone that parking fines are being enforced now and some people are getting caught. Be careful to dispaly your permit when you park at Physics.
Rob Lewsey
New Ground-Based Instrumentation for Space Weather Research: The Transition Region Explorer (TREx) and the Space Weather Adaptive Network (SWAN)
Online event
Thursday 25 February 2021
2:00pm to 3:00pm
Space and Planetary Physics webinar
Speaker: Emma Spanswick (University of Calgary)
Wayne Gould
Magnetic Monopoles and Quark Nuggets
Online via MS Teams
Friday 26 February 2021
11:00am to 12:00pm
Experimental Particle Physics webinar
Speaker: Professor Terence Sloan (Lancaster University)
Jarek Nowak
Smoke
Ask the Expert with Brooke Simmons – LUniverse Online
Online
Online via MS Teams
Friday 26 February 2021
1:30pm to 4:15pm
Q&A with an expert in physics!
LUniverse Planetarium
New Lockdown Requirements
All those who are accessing or planning to access the building for essential activities during this current national lockdown must review their risk assessments in light of the increased risk of infection due to the highly transmissible virus currently in circulation.
It is strongly suspected that the new strain is more transmissible because of the following reasons
- Greater viral loads may be shed by asymptomatic cases.
- The viral survival time on surfaces may be longer.
- The viral survival time as an aerosol may be longer, particularly in relatively low humidity environments.
Consider these increased risks and modify your control measures if required.
The basic controls (hands, face, space) are still good control measures but we need to redouble our efforts and be especially vigilant now.
The following points from the University’s safety office offer actions which will help to protect us all. Review your work area and ensure we do all we can to counteract this increased risk.
- Regular handwashing, keeping a distance of 2 m and wearing a face covering where instructed, remain the greatest priority.
- All staff must use the cleaning sprays and disposable towels to regularly wipe surfaces after use, paying particular attention to touch points (i.e. door handles, key pads, the handles of shared equipment (specialist and kitchen equipment). Hands should be washed or sanitised following this activity.
- Ensure ventilation settings remain at the maximum and staff should continue to open windows where artificial ventilation is not provided.
- Physical screening should be reassessed to ensure it is adequate i.e. the screen should completely isolate the person behind it, if not, the distance the aerosol must travel to reach the other person must be greater than 2 m.
Shonah Ion