CERN Accelerating science

Q: That’s Fantastic. Are these projects closely linked to what you study on your Master’s?

SG: Actually, not so much. In my degree I do lots of data analysis, focusing more on image processing, sensing, sensor calibration, and machine learning rather than any specific chemical analysis. It’s a bit more physical-science oriented.

There is much more in the chemical realm at CERN, with the possibility to learn about materials, pollutants and how we can conduct a large-scale survey using manual sampling techniques before sending things to a lab.

It's great to discover and step out of that box of "what I thought I wanted to do", especially to see the variety of projects on a site of this scale. The uniqueness of some of the work we have to do at CERN makes it an invaluable experience!

Q: That’s surprising, so is this very different to your experience of working at university?

SG: Yes and no: PFAS chemicals are entirely new to me, so that was a big learning curve. But in terms of the types of work we are doing, it is pretty similar.

For example, even when working with sensing and images at university, you still need to go out in the field to verify your data. Likewise, for my project here at CERN, there is a lot of research and background reading to do in order to set-up this kind of survey. So, in this sense the work is a similar mix of desk- and field work.

What is definitely different to university is that I'm the only person working on PFAS, which makes me very conscious of good fact checking and verification. It’s not like writing an assignment which is assessed by a professor: every bit of research I bring on the matter is new. There's a little bit of pressure in this sense, but it is nice to be given so much responsibility. Sabrina, my supervisor, has so much faith in me and its very motivating.

Another new experience is working alongside other departments to share ideas. For example, the FCC team are also undertaking a PFAS survey and I'm going to go on site with them for the sampling. Initially, this was just to see how it was done and learn for myself, but now it feels like more of a collaboration where I'm sharing what I know too. It has become a trial for how we might do this kind of survey more regularly in the future.

Q: So how are you enjoying working with the team and other colleagues?

SG: The collaboration is the best part of it, for sure! Luckily, I met everyone in the environment group at a barbecue on my first day: it was a bit of a baptism of fire, but it was amazing to meet the whole group at once.

After this, Sabrina recommended a whole host of people I should get to know for my projects. There seemed like an enormous list of people I had to meet. Not only the environment team, but also FCC, the monitoring team, the CFRS… then on top of this there was everybody you meet at the coffee machine! It is a big, but very fulfilling challenge to get to know them all.

I could already tell when I came for my interview earlier this year: the atmosphere and people felt really warm. You could sense the “bonne ambiance”, everybody was doing super interesting things, the projects are really cool. I could tell it would be a good decision.

When you meet people here, you immediately realise how kind and helpful they are. For example, Nabil from RP-CS, who saw my code over coffee and stopped to ask me all about it. Or Noureddine in the ENV-EM team who I shared an office with briefly; we would find it hard to stop chatting and giggling away together. Even though these people are not part of my direct team, they all helped to create this lovely, familial atmosphere we seem to have within the HSE Unit.

Q: And does it still feel like this since joining HSE?

SG: Yes it has absolutely stayed that way!

I was nervous obviously, as I'm quite introverted; it was all a step out of my comfort zone - especially needing to meet so many people, and the responsibility of the PFAS project. I knew I could do it really, but you don’t always believe it every step of the way… So now, seeing the project take shape feels unreal. It's nice to see what you've studied for so long being put to good use.

Coming all the way from Lausanne was also a worry initially, I thought I would be lonely away from my university friends. But the team are so social and the onboarding at CERN has really helped. It actually seems strange that I had any concerns at all!

Q: That’s great news! Are you managing to enjoy your time outside of work?

SG: It’s funny, I think at university I had time for so many hobbies, but here… I underestimated how tiring a workday can be! Perhaps it’s also the extra chores which come with solo living, or the adaptation to the new area, but I have been exhausted when I get home.

The team is very social however and this is motivating: we all do climbing, we go out for drinks, go to improv’ shows. It’s been great to socialise, I feel really well looked out for! Then I go back to Lausanne most weekends to see my family, to go hiking. Maybe I am doing quite a lot, now I think about it.

The only thing I miss is baking, it really has been a while since I’ve done that. Cooking for people is definitely one of my love languages. Whatever people want, just ask, I'll do it! I actually nearly did my apprenticeship as a baker, but my parents would not let me. It was probably a good decision, but I still keep the passion! I think cooking for people is the best way to show your appreciation for them.

Q: I’m not surprised you’re tired out; you do a lot! Any words of wisdom for your colleagues?

SG: I've always had this way of thinking. If I do something I need to do it right, else what is the use in doing it? This is as true for baking as it is for working, so that is one motivation for me. To always give my best.

I also think it’s sad not to enjoy, not to love your life and what you do. I feel the work I do and my studies is useful, and I’m working towards making a little difference somewhere in the world. Even if it’s just making something cleaner, making people laugh, keeping them healthy – or well fed!

As for advice, I don’t know if I’m qualified to give any. I feel quite cliché.

My new year's resolution this year was to say yes to everything. I used to be a bit overcautious, to not step out of my comfort zone – so this year I said “yes” more just to see where it took me. That’s why I’m here in this interview, in fact! I said yes to CERN, and then I said yes to you. And I think both have been a really fun experience.

Maybe my advice would be this: just to seize every opportunity to learn. I think you can learn in any situation, from anybody you meet, even if they're not directly linked to your work. You're always going to learn stuff. Don't put pressure on yourself: just be confident in the things you've learned, and stay curious to make the most and capture all of it.

Q: October marks your two-year anniversary at CERN? Congratulations! How have you found the move?

IS: It has been great. I had no doubts about making the move and I have not been disappointed.

Before I even saw the role, my husband was always supporting my ambition of mixing work and travel. He encouraged me to research PhDs and jobs abroad as he knew I was always quite interested in the idea of working somewhere else. So we were really excited when CERN gave us the opportunity to move somewhere new together. It was challenging for him to find work in the region, but we got there eventually, and that was a really special moment.

Professionally, the work here is very rewarding, and it’s such a nice team. There are a lot of us in OHS-PE and it creates this nice supportive atmosphere. Whether we are talking assignments or relaxing, it’s a pleasure to be around the colleagues both on a personal and professional level.

Q: And what is it you like about the work? How does it compare to your previous experiences?

IS: Safety is already a diverse field in terms of expertise. So when you add CERN’s multinational environment and the meaningful nature of the work here, it means no two days are the same. Everyone you meet is different, but all are driven by these exciting goals of new projects or physics. That’s a key, motivating aspect of the work here.

In terms of comparisons, I would say both are fantastic. I really loved my job back home too, and there are lots of similarities between what I was doing in chemical safety then and now.

Honestly, it’s funny, because normally when you are searching for new roles you don’t expect to meet all the criteria on a job description. But when I saw the job description for CERN I was surprised because I was doing almost 100% the same: it looked like my job at the time was integrated in CERN’s vacancy notice. So I thought “it’s meant to be!”

Q: And what have you learned in your two years here? Any challenges?

IS: A new thing that I really appreciated learning here at CERN was the certification of Dangerous goods safety advisor. Simon sent me to London to study for this accreditation, and now this is my main area of experience here. I am advising people in the transport of dangerous goods, which is quite an essential activity at CERN.

This is another thing I really appreciate about CERN: the commitment of management to development and training. For example, learning French has helped me at work, but also helped us in our home life. If there’s something I want to pursue and learn, I know people are always open to supporting it.

Another new challenge is PESS, our Project and Experiment Safety Support activity. This is challenging because you get to know the broad variety of people involved in the projects, allocate resources and manage expectations.

Not many people understand initially that HSE is not responsible for ensuring Safety on a daily basis, but for providing the right support for projects to succeed. So people always initially ask for more than we can provide, and it is my job to tell them nicely that it is their responsibility to provide solutions: we largely only offer advice. It can be difficult to manage expectations sometimes, but I enjoy the challenge, and you certainly learn a lot from understanding each project.

Q: And how do you relax after a challenge? Do you enjoy life in the region?

IS: I enjoy the region a lot. It’s quite active! If I compare it to Pakistan, here there are so many nice parks, pools, lakes – it’s great when you have a baby. In the evenings we sometimes go swimming, for walks or picnics around the lake. I love the parks for the baby too because she doesn’t want to stay at home. There is less help inside the house, being so far away from our family. That’s our biggest challenge at the moment!

We still manage to travel occasionally too. This is a great base for nice holidays only a short trip away. I like to search for places with a good food culture.

In fact, whenever we feel homesick, we like to go to the UK to find food that reminds us of home. I really try to find good food here in Geneva, but there are very limited options, especially for halal. But in the UK, you have all the options, especially for spicy food, so a lot of it reminds me of home.

Q: You had your baby daughter recently, how has life changed after her arrival?

IS: Initially it was more difficult, but with time it has become easier, especially with creche and as she has grown. You certainly can’t be spontaneous anymore, everything needs to be planned in advance, but is still very enjoyable.

From this point of view, CERN has been super supportive. Simon reduced my workload to help me get through this phase, and now eventually we are back to full strength. The team really looked after me too: I got lots of lovely messages, wishes and gifts – it really is like a family! They are super flexible and understanding.

Work-wise I am able to work full time now, as we can use telework and a local creche to look after her during work hours. But it’s never a quiet day’s work when you’re minding a baby as well.

It’s funny, I used to ask my female colleagues why they didn’t take more time off after they had their babies, and they would say “it’s because work feels like a rest compared to life at home!” and now I completely understand what they meant!

Q: It sounds like you have really adjusted well to life out here. What’s your advice for any HSE newcomers?

IS: Haha, oh I don’t know! I’m not good at giving advice to be honest…

I guess: Just do your best, don’t stress out. This is an environment where everybody focuses on getting the job done together. So don’t worry if you feel unsure or want some support with something. Just speak to someone, and they will take pleasure in helping you feel at home in the team.

Q: Wow! Before we go further. Tell me about how you’ve gathered these work experiences.

CES: Well, I’ve worked since I was a teenager in order to support myself. During high school I started learning about web design and worked as a freelancer. Though I’d say it wasn’t until I was at university that I got my first “real job” working for the Portuguese census. After that, I started working as a web designer for a startup that promotes better recycling habits through gamification.

I also took part in a national psychologists’ competition in between my undergraduate and master’s studies, where we reached the final stages! It wasn’t a job, but it certainly felt like one!

Q: So which roles resonate the most with your experience here?

CES: I would say the mostly Census and the competition. Though I also do a bit of web design in this role, the two people-centred roles feel the most important.

For example, with the Census, my task was to include as many people as possible. So I was especially focused on hard-to-reach communities: especially those who may not have been confident speaking Portuguese, not had access to technology, or were otherwise quite isolated. It was a really diverse range of people, backgrounds, nationalities, levels of affluence, experience, confidence… Much like CERN.

Obviously, the aim was to get them to fill out the survey. So first, I had to explain to them what the census was, build trust with them, help them fill out the form and answer their questions. Perhaps you can see how it’s not too dissimilar to the work we do in HSE-AS. We help everyone to accomplish their administrative needs. I think about this similarity all the time!

But really, I’ve always worked with people, a diverse array of different people, and these people skills are the most valuable in every role.

Q: The census must be fascinating. How does the psychology competition link into your role?

CES: So, the competition was for psychology students to design an innovative psychological intervention tool to solve a problem, we didn’t think much of it at first, so it was a big surprise for me and my friend when we got the news that we were selected as “finalists”.

Our competition entry was a tool for young children, using virtual reality to help them overcome a fear of public speaking. Obviously, we learned all about how to become a more confident speaker, which is useful in my job today and in life in general.

In the final, we had 3 intense days where we learned a lot how to create these learning experiences, how to turn research into a very real product, and how to manage the project, create business cases, etc. It was a great learning experience.

We got to pitch our idea to some of the most famous psychologists in Portugal – people I had been reading about in my assignments. It was very unexpected, but also SO cool.

Sadly, the project came to an end because of our master’s studies, and then I moved here, but it was an incredible experience!

Q: And how do you like it here, what do you get up to outside of work?

CES: You know, people will laugh at this. I live in St Genis, and everybody says it is super quiet and boring there … but for me, this is perfect! Honestly, I love it. It reminds me so much of my hometown, where you go out and just see the nature.

There is nothing better after a busy day than going to the gym, getting home, playing some video games and reading. This is almost my perfect lifestyle – it’s just missing my dogs! They are back home in Fátima, living with my mom and missing me as well. If anybody reading this has animals and wants to go on vacation, I can take care of them for you!

I know a lot of people in the area too, so we also go to the lake and go swimming, hiking, skiing in the mountains. It’s nice to be able to choose to be social and active, but still find time to chill whenever I want to (which is almost every day!).

Q: This all sounds ideal! And what does the future hold? Will your dogs be joining you?

CES: I sure hope so! But I’m still a student, so I have to go back to complete my studies. Then who knows what the future will hold.

I do love working at CERN. The best part is my team. They have such a great caring energy and they really do know me well by now. I feel we all complement each other perfectly.

However, these months have also given me time to reflect more on my choice of degree: it’s inspired me, actually. I would like to move from the more social aspect of psychology towards neuroscience, to better understand the biological basis of our behaviour.

This is because I loved my neuroscience courses as an undergraduate but had previously always found biology very difficult. My lecturer changed this, but I had already kind of decided it would be too hard for me. But working here, gaining this experience, it has changed my mind!

I mean, I made it to CERN despite all the odds: so I can do neuroscience as well! They say you can do anything you set your mind to, so I just need to take that first step.

In the meantime, though, I really enjoy working here. I’ve learned so much, gained even more experience and found different opportunities to grow. It’s special also to be here for CERN’s 70th anniversary year! So I am going to keep making the most of it, learning what I can, every day.

Q: Sounds like a huge project, how do you manage so many domains?

SV: It is a big project, yes! It spans so many different domains, but this is how I have always worked. When I was a young engineer, I worked on impact assessments just like this on industrial plants all across France. In fact, this became my profession for almost 20 years. I learned a lot and worked my way up to become the head of a large HSE unit. I really enjoyed the variety on these projects, throughout my career, while other colleagues found it somewhat stressful.

I think we are all ‘wired’ differently. Some people prefer to work in a single factory and really focus on optimising one process or system. Some of us prefer the variety. For me I thrive on it! Probably like most of us here in HSE, we have a preference for the broader view. That’s not a bad or good thing either, we work in complement with the specialists, I need them, and that’s what makes these projects successful.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your life outside of work.

SV: Sure! I’m very lucky to have my three kids who are a bit more independent now, my eldest is 20 and about to begin her master’s degree in law; the other two are twins, 16, at the lycée. They’re demanding of course, but I have a little more time for myself now compared to when they were younger!

I love hiking and cycling, being out in nature. I try to come to work by bike as often as I can, when it’s not raining! In fact, I have just moved into my new home at the end of last year. It’s at the foot of the Jura, close to the source of the Allondon river, so there are loads of trees, forest, a lot of shade in summer and beautiful flowing water. If you haven’t been there, you have to visit. It’s beautiful!

Q: Sounds perfect! But how do you balance your love of nature AND of working on these huge engineering projects? How are the two interests compatible?

SV: I am often very conflicted inside. It has always been my job to understand the impact of industrial plants on their immediate environment. That is the function of impact assessments: it is about protecting nature and people too, by understanding, assessing, and mitigating impacts.

Then there’s the question of values. Whether we believe a project is “worth it” or not. For example: CERN, to me, provides enormous benefits to society, and in that sense, it is “worth it” when one considers the environmental impact.

On a personal note, I had cancer a few years ago, and thankfully I am now in the clear. The whole process of diagnosis and planning the treatment was facilitated by medical technologies which were pioneered at CERN. Thousands of people are helped by the same technologies each year. So, to me, there is no question that CERN is worth it.

What we do is great for society: technologically, diplomatically, culturally. So to me, any environmental cost we have is somewhat justified. Plus the environmental impact CERN has is generally quite well understood and mitigated, we are generally always working to improve our emissions, impact, etc.

This is in contrast to other activities, by far more polluting industries, who mostly create products simply for profit or to benefit only a small portion of society. I feel much better working on a project like CERN, and FCC, which I know have made positive changes in the world (and I know have a great team behind them!), than working for some random plant who simply want to build or expand a new factory.

Q: That is great, and do you believe we do enough at CERN? For FCC?

SV: Put it this way: I visited CERN for the first time in 2017 for a council mission and I met Sonja (Kleiner). This was before CERN started producing its environment reports. At that time, I felt that the environment was not an area of focus at the strategic level. It wasn’t too high a priority. This was only seven or eight years ago but look at what has happened since then.

Now, environment is almost the very top consideration. It is just as important a consideration as safety, cost, feasibility. Everybody asks about it. People can no longer do whatever they want. Plus, we have our reporting, and the correct management of environmental topics.

So I believe we have made huge progress, and that is important. The trajectory is there, we are moving in the right direction. And again, what we do has real positive impacts for society. So, you return to the idea of values. Is it worth the impact to have what we have here?

With FCC, the largest negative impacts will be during the construction and material sourcing phase. In operation it will help to support the same benefits as CERN does now: superconductivity, data processing, quantum technology, medical imaging, etc.

Q: If I may ask: How has your experience with cancer shaped your motivation in life and work? And of course, are you ok now?

SV: Yes, I have been in the clear for a few years now, I just go for the regular checks. But you are right, it has definitely had an impact on what I value in work and life. When I got the all-clear, I told myself: “you are here, and you have to continue!”

And you know what? I am better than ever! I like my work. With this cancer, I figured out that everything around us in our world can lead to cancer. Everything. Everything that you eat, that you breathe, drink, our building materials... And step by step I understood that nature is our basis. If there is no nature, there is no human. So we have to take care of it.

Then, I think, when you figure out that everything can just stop. At any time. And suddenly nothing else matters. After that, you just enjoy everything.

So yes, I really enjoy the work I do here. I have my life, my house, my hobbies. I get to give back and do my bit to continue the journey at CERN and ensure we continue to preserve our environment. And my experience with cancer motivates me in my life. In my entire life, I mean.
I want to live every minute. Not fast – but deeply.

Q: I look forward to learning what! Tell me about your professional journey…

FL: So, I’m currently a postdoctoral fellow here at CERN. Before this I worked at the German Aerospace Centre near Munich as a master’s student and whilst searching for my PhD.

I got the amazing opportunity, by chance, to study a PhD in a field that I was super passionate about. We were investigating radiation shielding materials to protect people in deep space missions. Space is really my passion, deep space, manned missions, that kind of thing, so I loved what I was doing almost every day!

The PhD was based at the GSI in Darmstadt, a particle accelerator, which we used to recreate the kind of radiation you would experience in space. This means I was very familiar with ‘accelerator life’, let’s say. Plus, I did a lot of simulations using a software called FLUKA, that was developed and is used here at CERN, which is really what brought me here!

Q: Have you always wanted to work in radiation protection? How did you discover that?

FL: Oh, no! Completely by chance. It’s funny… I nearly didn’t study physics at all!

In high school, I chose to specialise in art and ancient languages. In Italy, you can only study science OR humanities subjects, not both! So in this sense it was very unusual for me to end up in physics. We didn’t learn calculus in maths, and I only did two hours a week of physics, compared to nearly a third of my time learning Latin and Greek. So how did I get here?

It was definitely my love of space that brought me to study physics – plus some advice from my dad. This made me start a pathway in engineering physics, which gave me some job security whilst keeping a window open for applied physics routes into the space sector. Though at the time I didn’t think this was possible…

Here I got really into studying nuclear physics, as I could see how it applied to the kinds of cosmic radiation we see in space. I chose to do a Master’s in Nuclear Engineering, which introduced me to higher energy radiation and radiation protection. It was whilst doing my thesis that I got super lucky and landed a project with the German Aerospace Centre in Munich. The project wasn’t very space-based, it was about dust particles in plasmas, but I loved my life there. I think it was here I started to feel at ease with working internationally, too.

In a discussion with my supervisor, they gave me some life changing advice – “how about finding a PhD in the effects of space radiation on biology?”. This pulled together all my interests so well, it made total sense to me, so I decided to start looking!

It took a lot of searching, all over Europe, and I didn’t have any luck for a long time, but after several months, by chance I found this professor in Darmstadt who was doing research about radiation protection in space… AND looking for a PhD student. So exactly what I was looking for!

So here at CERN, I combine the radiation protection knowledge from my PhD with new challenges in extreme high energy radiation and collaborating with people doing entirely new physics. It’s really exciting and interesting!

Q: So here at CERN what do you enjoy? Can you still find a connection to your passions in space?

FL: Yes, absolutely! What I like is that here at CERN, though I’m not directly involved in space right now, I still do get to see things going on in the field nearby. For example, I work opposite the AMS building, measuring antimatter scatter in space, searching for dark matter, which is a pure space-based product based on the ISS. I also do the RP for some slightly more astrophysics themed experiments with PBC that are really cool.

I think collaborating with all these different projects and being involved in cutting edge science at this huge international centre is just as cool and motivating for me. There’s a real buzz. Collaborating on new experiments, I get to meet really inspiring people and learn about the new physics they’re investigating – it can be challenging – but also kind of thrilling to be on the edge of science like this.

Everybody at CERN has the same sense of purpose so it’s a really rewarding environment. Plus, I get to share this picture of science with others, through outreach and communication activities.

Q: So you do a lot of outreach and communication? Tell me about that!

FL: I love it, I do all kinds of things. I work with women in science & technology here, I speak to students, and have given a lesson about radiation at Ecole Internationale de Genève and my old school for example. In Darmstadt I presented my research to high schoolers each year. I’ve also been on the “pint of science” podcasts, I have done interviews on YouTube.

I try to do as much science communication as I can, because it is really useful for my work as well. When you are collaborating with other departments, you have to be really aware of what they know and what they don't know. Some things need explaining from the basics, others are more experienced. It enables you to be a bridge between different specialists when you’re collaborating.

Plus, it gives me so much energy. I come back to work on a real high because I get really excited with the excitement of other people when they hear my work, you know? It’s like a mini holiday refresh!

Q: I can tell it gives you real energy! Do you think your ‘interesting’ background in arts and the classics influences your passion for science communication?

FL: Oh that’s interesting, I’ve actually never thought about this! I mean, I guess I have kept my love for art and literature in my personal life a lot. I don't make art, but I do love arts. So I go to a lot of art exhibitions. I love theatre, I love concerts. I love music. It’s another reason Geneva and CERN are great; they make a real effort to put arts in the picture.

I once got to work with an artist at the GSI in Darmstadt, for a summer arts in science programme. I had the opportunity to get into the processes and see how he did his work. Then to see how his inspiration and message got into the final piece – I was blown away – how people manage to combine these ideas, to make a meaning from connecting these different worlds, is just amazing.

So yes, for sure there’s something there feeding into my communication. I guess it’s also the skills, I do a lot of improvised theatre and I think this also gives you a lot of great communication tools. Theatre, art, language – I travel a lot… It seems all of these things I did in my very formative years are still a big part of my life outside of work now.

Q: Improv, art, science communication, travelling … would you say you have a lot of hobbies?

FL: Haha! I try to do some exercise to keep healthy too, dancing, swimming. Obviously, I really love living in the area and try to go hiking, skiing up in the alps. I was on holiday in the Lofoten islands in Norway recently which was just breathtaking…

Q: Francesca, how do you fit it all in? What’s your secret?

FL: Errrrrr… sometimes I wonder! Okay, no sometimes I do feel like I probably need a bit of a rest.

But I like that here at CERN I have the possibility to achieve a bit of a work life balance. At least in my experience this is something that people understand here. That if at a certain point you work too much without breaks – if you don’t make the time for other things in your life, then you're not creative or motivated any more.

I think being happy in life means you’re happy at work. I’m lucky to also have great colleagues, to work in this amazing place… It’s all part of the same big picture.

Q: So you moved to HSE to make a change. What attracted you to this role over other possibilities?

MA: It's really a “change for change’s sake” in one sense, because indeed I was very happy where I was, and I still think it is an incredibly interesting job in the KT team. But I was also attracted to this role as a way of learning a lot about the Organization, about how CERN works, about new topics, a new area of law that I knew nothing about. And also, I'm getting to work with a lot of people who haven't had a chance to work with before.
For example, it has been really interesting to work with another lawyer, Angela, the head of Transversal Services Group in which the TS-LC Legal and Communications team sits. There were not many lawyers in KT, so it's nice to be able to bounce legal ideas back and forth, to be supported and give support, plus to get different perspectives on your work!

Q: What have you brought with you from that previous role in KT, and what is new?

MA: In my job in KT, what I really liked was the fact that it was very “Hands-On”, in the sense that when I'm writing a collaboration agreement or licence agreement on one of the CERN technologies, I do have to understand a little bit what technology is about and how it will be used by the company. For instance, is it going to be used in manufacturing processes? Is it going to be sold in a product? Or is it going to be incorporated? This little bit of connection with the technical side of things at CERN is something I like and that I was also looking forward to when coming here to HSE.
The role here is still very technical in this way. One of the files that I’ve have been working on, for instance, is static magnetic fields. Which I knew nothing about originally! But I still have to understand a little bit of the subject to ensure what I am writing makes sense and can be realistically implemented. Thankfully, there's a great team that can explain all these things to me as well.

Q: So you appear to like being hands-on and like learning new things. Would you say you often seek challenges?

MA: Absolutely. It’s an essential part of the work for me.

Q: It sounds like you've got to keep up with outside of CERN as well as inside?

MA: Yes, and I’m still learning all of that, all the time! The idea is to stay aware of what's going on, both here and at the EU level. But for that, I rely on mostly on the subject matter experts who know better than anyone, and they will tell me if there's something coming up soon and how we might respond.

Q: You grew up in the area, have you always wanted to work at CERN?

MA: I grew up in the area, when it was much smaller and much more rural. I went to school around here, but CERN has always been a very big player. It's always been in the background in the sense that you'd always hear about it, and also a lot of the parents of my classmates and my friends, my school friends were working at CERN. When I arrived and started working here, I would find myself in meetings with the parents of my school friends, who may have first met me when I still had pigtails – and now they have to take me seriously talking about intellectual property law. So, that was a little bit of a challenge as well!
I've always been fascinated. I mean, when you grow up in the area you hear about CERN a lot, your everyday life is always somehow impacted by CERN, half of the people you meet are connected to CERN. But it stays a mystery! What's going on there? And then you start to learn a little bit more about it then it is just this fascinating place…

Q: So as a relative newcomer, do you have any insights for other newcomers like yourself?

MA: Honestly. I didn't realise just how big the Unit was: it's very, very big! And also, I don't think people realise everything that HSE is doing, the variety of it all…
So I think maybe my advice would be to really try to talk to different people in the Unit, to understand and to tell you about their job. Because I started doing that and the breadth and the importance of the work that being done by HSE … it’s really hard to imagine.
I think that would be maybe the piece of advice: try and really discover, in depth, the little bits and pieces that everybody is taking care of, how this place fits together and realise just how important we are here to CERN’s every day. It’s really a massive boost.

Q: So that’s how you enjoy what you do every day?

MA: Yes! Absolutely, I do!

Meriem Chniba, deputy departmental planning officer (DDPO) for HSE.

Q : Quel est ton parcours jusqu’ici ?
Je suis fille de deux physiciens, ma maman est physicienne en cristallographie, mon papa est physicien en électrotechnique. Ils sont tous les deux enseignants chercheurs au CNRS, mon père est à la retraite aujourd’hui. J’ai grandi dans ce milieu où la physique régissait un peu tout ce qui se passait autour de nous donc toute question avait une explication physique derrière, ce qui m’a naturellement attiré vers ce domaine.

Après ma licence en physique fondamentale, j’ai commencé à rechercher quelque chose de plus appliqué ce qui m’a amenée vers l’ingénierie en sûreté nucléaire et radioprotection, grâce auquel j’ai pu faire un stage de six mois au CERN à la radioprotection. De nature, je suis quelqu’un d’observateur, j’essaye toujours d’identifier les risques potentiels autour de moi, donc ce parcours m’a parlé. J’ai fait aussi un an au CEA , le Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et énergies Alternatives, en tant qu’ingénieur junior pour la sûreté d’un labo de fabrication des combustibles nucléaires à Cadarache. Mon parcours m’a ramenée au CERN en tant que membre du personnel temporaire, puis Fellow, où j’ai pu travailler à la RP tout en découvrant le milieu de la planification budgétaire aux côtés de Yann Donjoux, notre DPO dont j’étais l’adjointe.

A la fin de ce contrat j’ai eu l’opportunité de passer un an au CHUV, le centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois à Lausanne, où j’ai fait de la radioprotection opérationnelle en tant que responsable de la radioprotection de l’hôpital en binôme avec un collègue du même institut. Et me voici de retour aujourd’hui au CERN, dans le rôle de deputy department planning officer (DDPO). Pour moi, c’est important de prendre conscience de la partie planification avant de retourner dans la technique.

Q : Comment es-tu passée d’ingénieure en sûreté nucléaire à la planification budgétaire ?
MC : Un ingénieur de par sa formation : a des compétences techniques de son domaine mais il a aussi des compétences de management et de gestion, dont la partie planification et gestion des ressources. Moi j’aime bien les deux ; c’est complémentaire. Ce rôle, qui est particulier chez HSE, me permet de vraiment faire le pont avec la technique. Parce que je connais la technique, mes discussions avec les collègues HSE sont plus riches, au-delà des chiffres : j’ai besoin aussi de comprendre quelle est leur stratégie, à quoi ils ont pensé, puis j’essaie de voir où il y a des synergies à créer et des opportunités pour éventuellement mutualiser.

Q : Qu’as-tu retiré de ton année au CHUV ?
MC : c’est drôle parce que pour le coup je n’étais jamais rentrée dans un hôpital - je touche du bois. Je me suis rendu compte qu’en fait l’accès y est facile, n’importe qui peut rentrer dans l’hôpital, à part certains secteurs où tu as besoin d’un badge pour accéder : cela m’a choqué avec ma casquette Safety/sûreté. Cela a parfois donné lieu à des discussion intéressantes avec le professionnel médical, pour qui les aspects de sûreté sont ironiquement secondaires, Mais je me suis vite adaptée grâce entre autres à un sens de l’observation qui me sert beaucoup au quotidien :) .

Cette expérience a été bénéfique car c’est un environnement unique, où chacun a un rôle clair qu’il faut respecter dans un protocole défini. Cela m’a permis de développer mon sens de l’écoute, de savoir comment approcher les gens, comment leur demander de faire quelque chose sans forcément donner un ordre etc. Et c’est très utile au CERN aussi bien que l’environnement ici soit plus ouvert et moins rigide.

Q : Savoir convaincre sans forcer est donc important ?
MC : C’est subtil. Selon moi, si tu veux que tes collègues collaborent avec toi, tu ne peux pas ordonner et mettre devant un fait accompli. Il faut qu’il y ait de la communication, essayer d’atteindre un commun accord entre la securité (au sens large du terme) et l’activité de la personne, qu’elle comprenne son intérêt à travailler en toute sécurité, les enjeux que l’inverse impliquerait, et comment elle peut influencer et être impliquée dans la situation de manière positive, tout en faisant son activité. Et c’est pareil dans le planning budgétaire. Il faut savoir satisfaire un peu tout le monde tout en sachant que le gâteau est limité. Il faut être réaliste, et ne pas forcément bloquer les gens dès le départ. Tout cela ne s’apprend pas sur les bancs d’école, c’est avec l’expérience qu’on trouve ses marques.

Q : Quels sont tes passe-temps en dehors du travail ?
MC : Je fais beaucoup de randonnée, du basket, du tennis – mais ces activités sont un peu mises sur la touche à cause d’un souci au genou qu’il me tarde de résoudre. Sinon j’aime bricoler : j’aurais bien aimé construire ma propre maison car tous les corps de métier impliqués me passionnent. Je fais de la plomberie, de l’électricité. Sinon, c’est le jardinage, pour moi c’est un terrain d’expérience : si ce que je mange a un noyau, j’essaye de le faire germer. J’aime bien expérimenter, les faire pousser : mon objectif après plusieurs tentatives c’est de faire un « bon » avocatier. Je tente aussi avec les mangues et les abricots…

Comment envisages-tu la suite ?
MC: Je vais continuer sur ma lancée, en évoluant dans mon domaine tout en faisant de nouvelles expériences. Je me réjouis de continuer en tant que DDPO, j’ai beaucoup à y découvrir. Et la technique est ce à quoi j’aimerais bien revenir.

Un message de fin : comment décrirais-tu HSE ?
MC : j’aime beaucoup notre unité et la diversité de ses activités. Depuis le temps c’est devenu la famille !

Q : What does the Section do and what is your role? 
SM: I joke in saying that we do everything the other sections don’t do. It’s a very diverse section, currently comprising 14 people who all wear different hats, including myself. It’s a challenge but it’s good. It makes every day different: we are in touch with all different parts of the Organization. It can be for very simple activities, or more complex projects: from toilets installation to FCC and everything in between, like, chemical engineering, gases, oxygen deficiency hazards (commonly referred to as ODH), mechanical safety, works and services, and general safety. 

Q : Would this kind of role, with multiple hats, be possible outside of CERN?
SM: It is, to some extent. Before, in the private sector, I had multiple roles but in a business context. Here, the context is not the same, you are dealing with these different communities that have different aspirations and needs, different experiences and backgrounds. From a safety standpoint you are dealing with some people who are completely unaware and others who are fully informed and on board. People who care and people who don’t. This is where we have to skillfully adapt to ensure we explain implications clearly to convince people. In a corporate framework, this process is in place and engraved at all levels, there is always the same approach to risk. At CERN, we could say there is far more variety in approach. 

Q : How important are communication skills in your day-to-day work? 
SM: I think a large part of it is communicating and convincing people. We enable the people to do what they need to do (experiments etc.) while making them care enough to do it properly and safely. I think there was a tendency in the past of throwing the book of rules at people. Since then, we got into more of a partnership role, where we explain why rules need to be followed. In this way, when we cannot allow people to do what they want, they accept it more readily. However, sometimes at CERN what has been created or designed has never been done before. We are trying to fit as much as possible into the rules context, but at a certain point, we have to be a bit more creative, and we have to also be pragmatic. We have to somehow assess people’s level of understanding of the risks they face and how to manage them, and determine how best we can support them. So, it’s not always a “one size fits all approach”. Working with people is absolutely essential for our job, so good communication is a must.  

Q : Does this impact the way you recruit for your team? 
SM: Our team members must be able to work with some of the ambiguities that we have in our day-to-day job and in the advice that they have to give. Some people are very uncomfortable if the rules don’t fit, when some others understand that some reasonable flexibility has to be applied. With experience comes the ability to judge a situation regarding safety. We are looking for people who can analyse a given rule and understand how to apply it in a correct way to allow CERN to function optimally.  

Q : What would you want to pass on to the younger generation?
SM: “You don’t know. You won’t know. But, if you promise to find out, you’re going to find out”. The first day I joined Shell, that’s what my boss said to me. I think it’s a great piece of advice and that’s one I also pass on as a section leader. You don’t always have the answers and sometimes they aren’t the right answers but that’s why, going back to this partnering role, working towards what we think is the right answer becomes important. That’s the daily challenge. 

Q : En quoi consiste ton travail à HSE ? 
HB : J’ai été embauché en 2015 pour développer et produire le nouveau système monitoring de REMADS au CERN pour la radioprotection et l’environnement (projet CROME). Le but été de remplacer un système développé dans les années 80 qui était en fin de vie. On a réussi et maintenant il y a la deuxième phase du projet qui sera de remplacer le système RAMSES pendant le LS3. 

Q : Qu’est ce qui t’a fait venir au CERN ?
HB: La vraie version ? J’ai été très transparent et je l’ai dit durant mon entretien d’embauche. J’étais de Toulouse et j’avais une copine depuis 2 ou 3ans qui venait de Genève. On voulait évoluer de cette relation à distance. Aussi, le CERN est une organisation qui fait rêver, on a des compétences techniques qui ne se trouvent nulle par ailleurs mais c’est le genre de chose que tu sais quand tu as déjà passé un peu de temps au CERN. Moi, ce n’était pas le cas. Je suis arrivé directement en STAFF, sans être technical student ou fellow au préalable, et c’est assez rare. Pour moi c’était vraiment la boite noire de l’extérieur et j’ai eu de la chance. 

Q : De la chance ou du talent ? 
HB : Il faut toujours de la chance, c’est ce que disait Charlie Chaplin : « Le secret du succès c’est 99% de chance et 1% de travail ». Et c’était vraiment un travailleur acharné. 

Q : Que fais-tu en dehors du CERN ? 
HB : L’un des facteur clé d’un bon équilibre mental c’est l’équilibre professionnel/personnel. Autant je peux travailler le weekend et tard le soir, autant je dois m’assurer d’avoir des activités personnelles. Le midi, je mange plutôt avec les collègues ou je fais du sport. Je fais du sport pratiquement tous les jours. L’hiver, je fais énormément de snowboard. J’y vais tous les weekends ou un weekend sur deux. Je fais beaucoup de vélo aussi, surtout l’été. J’adore voyager, j’aime découvrir le monde, des nouvelles cultures et de nouvelles façons de réfléchir. Récemment, j’ai fait l’Islande, la Thaïlande et la Corée du Sud. 

Q : Tu as l’air de t’être bien intégré dans la région?
HB : Quand je suis arrivé au CERN, je ne connaissais pas grand monde. Il faut savoir qu’il y a quelques difficultés d’intégration dans la région. J’ai quelques anciens collègues qui avaient du mal à s’intégrer dans un environnement qui ne soit pas celui du CERN. Donc je me suis tout de suite inscrit à l’association GIA  (Geneva Interns Association). Leurs évènements m’ont permis de découvrir la région, de faire des rencontres avec les gens locaux, explorer la ville ou et ses alentours… Petit à petit, je me suis fait un réseau avec pas mal d’internationaux et c’est ensuite que j’ai rencontré des personnes locales. Pour moi c’est important d’avoir un bon cercle d’amis et je suis vraiment content d’avoir pu le faire. 

Hamza est la 3e personne en partant de la droite.

Q : C’est donc un défi pour ta profession d’avoir des patients de différentes nationalité, langages, cultures… ?

DR: Être infirmière c’est notamment prendre soin d’autrui quel que soit son statut, sa culture, sa pathologie, etc. C’est donc développer des compétences linguistiques, mais aussi être capable de trouver d’autres moyens de communication. C’est un challenge auquel on est habitué en tant qu’infirmière. Notre compréhension d’une situation n’est pas la même selon les nationalités. Ce n’est pas un souci, c’est une diversité qui est enrichissante.

Q : Tu dois avoir un travail très varié au quotidien en raison de cette population internationale…

DR : J’apprécie en travaillant au CERN cet accompagnement d’une population très internationale. Ce n’est pas seulement de la prévention liée au risques professionnels, mais aussi liée à un environnement inconnu. On le voit très bien avec les étudiants d’été actuellement au CERN venant de différents horizons et parfois en perte de repère lors de leur séjour dans notre région. On fait donc attention à tout en s’assurant que la personne a bien compris par exemple une prise de traitement, le fonctionnement d’une prise en charge médicale dans la région franco-genevoise. D’autre part, lors des campagnes de prévention par exemple sur les troubles musculo-squelettiques, on utilise des outils adaptés pour sensibiliser au mieux toutes les personnes en activité ou de passage au CERN. C’est donc une approche globale en termes de prévention, de conseil, d’orientation et de prise en soin. C’est vraiment un rôle important.

Dolores Richard aux Rochers de Leschaux.

Q : Et en dehors du CERN, quelles sont tes occupations ?

DR : J’habite au pied du Jura, je fais beaucoup de randonnées en toutes saisons et du vélo particulièrement pendant les vacances. Nous sommes dans un environnement qui permet de profiter de la montagne, de la nature, ce qui est très ressourçant pour moi. J’aime les voyages, j’en profite pour retrouver mes enfants qui sont parfois à travers le monde. J’apprécie par ailleurs les moments de convivialité en famille, avec les amis, avec les collègues de travail autour d’un repas, d’une sortie. Sinon la lecture, le bricolage, le yoga font partie aussi de mes loisirs. Toutes ces activités m’apportent un équilibre.

J’ai un métier prenant : il y a des journées qui nous engagent fortement, parfois émotionnellement. Alors j’ai besoin de me ressourcer régulièrement.

Q : As-tu un rêve ? des aspirations ?

DR : J’ai envie de me former au reiki, une médecine parallèle davantage centrée sur l’équilibre des énergies du corps. Je suis formée en médecine tropicale et j’ai encore envie de découvrir d’autres domaines de la santé.

Sinon, oui, j’ai un rêve que j’espère réaliser. J’ai toujours dit, depuis le début de ma vie professionnelle, que le jour où je démarrerai ma vie de retraitée, je fermerai la porte de ma maison, et que je partirai 6 mois à pied ou à vélo. Je me dis qu’il faudra que je m’accorde cette pause pour démarrer une autre vie. S’il y a un rêve, c’est celui-là.

Q : Et ça correspond à tes premières aspirations alors que tu approfondissais le sujet du nucléaire ?

HS : Pas du tout ! Il faut savoir que le nucléaire c’est un peu plus vaste que juste le radioactif. Ça m’a permis de changer ma vision des choses, du nucléaire et du radioactif, en prenant en compte les nouvelles méthodologies et de nouveaux outils, qui m’ont beaucoup plu. Ça me tenterait bien de continuer à les utiliser dans des projets de qualification ou des projets d’étude. Ce qui n’était pas du tout le cas avant mon arrivée ici : j’avais pour objectif premier d’être chef d’exploitation. Désormais, j’ai très envie de continuer l’aventure ici, que ce soit par un PhD ou un premier emploi.

Q : As-tu le sentiment d’avoir apporté quelque chose au CERN ?

HS : Oui ! J’ai l’impression d’avoir apporté quelque chose parce que le sujet qu’on m’a confié est un projet qui a une utilité. Et je vois au quotidien la reconnaissance des personnes avec qui je travaille. Je suis très heureux et très fier d’avoir pu contribuer à un travail d’une telle importance. C’est super gratifiant. De ce que je connais, il n’y a pas de stage ici qui soit « inutile » : on a forcément notre enjeu, on a une importance dans le projet. C’est une vraie bonne chose si on recherche de la responsabilité. Et je ne remercierais jamais assez mes collègues pour leur confiance et pour m’avoir si bien entouré. C’est aussi grâce à eux que j’ai vécu une si belle expérience ici.

Q : Qu'as-tu découvert depuis ton arrivée ici ?

HS : Déjà, la découverte d’une nouvelle région (Ain). C’est très sportif, ce qui est important pour moi donc je suis comblé à ce niveau-là : entre les clubs de badminton, le foot en salle avec le CERN, les piscines pour la natation, la course à pied, le vélo… c’est vraiment une région très dynamique. Et en plus de ça, avec tous les jeunes qui sont au CERN, ça permet de créer des liens, de ne pas se retrouver seul dans une nouvelle région, d’être accompagné très rapidement et de pouvoir profiter des activités extérieures. Et puis le partage des cultures, avec tout ce qu’on s’apporte les uns aux autres, c’est très enrichissant. On grandit beaucoup d’une expérience comme celle-ci, que ce soit professionnellement ou personnellement.

Q: How long have you been working at CERN?

MA: I’ve worked at CERN for 19 years. I started in the Theory department, then I worked in HR, before joining HSE. When I came to HSE, I was mainly working in the administrative field: first as GAO, then DAO, safety training, then assistant to the Unit head. My studies and passion have always been in the environment domain, so in 2013 I slowly phased into the environment group.

Q: What do you think is the main challenge in your job today?

MA: The problem with the impact on the environment is that you can often displace the issue from one domain to another. For example, if you decide to not use some greenhouse gases for the cooling then you might use water, meaning an increase in water consumption, and possibly increased water discharges mixed with pollutants. It is quite difficult to find a solution that will last as long as the duration of the project and for each project requires a different solution.

What we do most of the time is raising awareness among our colleagues: we sow the seeds, and then wait for them to come up with the ideas that works for them. If they are not on the right track, we discuss and explain why. It really is a process, it has to be integrated in everybody’s mind, and it is not always easy – you can never force people to do things, you have to convince them.

Q: Do you think that the environmental awareness has become better over the years?

MA: Yes, exponentially. The awareness, the resources allocated to deal with it, even within other departments, not only HSE. I think CERN is quite an incredible place for that, it can be very slow to change some processes, but when it starts it goes much quicker than anywhere else.

	Michela Alessi plays the electric bass.

Q: What do you like to do outside of CERN?

MA: For the last five years, music has been my obsession, mainly bass guitar. It started as a challenge because I am not a musician, but we are not getting any younger and the brain needs to be stimulated. I always dreamed about playing the double bass, but it takes three years to learn how to place your fingers before you play a proper sound. So, I said I will start with the bass guitar since it’s easier to master and cheaper…

Otherwise, I like cooking, walking, doing yoga, and traveling, especially in Scotland. I have traveled a lot in my life, in many different countries, with many different jobs.

I tried gardening but it was not successful in the weird climate we have had lately. I haven’t been successful yet, but I still try.

Q: Do you think your activities outside CERN help you in you work?

MA: Yes, sure. When you learn a new instrument or a new activity you reset your brain. I think all along your life, you should be in a learning mode. That way you keep questioning what you are doing, why and how you are doing it. And when you question it, there is always room for improvement. Questioning means that you can really improve the process and the result.

Also, playing in a band, when you’re not an expert in your instrument it requires you to really listen to the others. It helps communication and to be aware of other people. You have to be creative; you have to think of different ways of reaching someone, understanding what is happening and then proposing things that are not in the list of already existing approaches. Everything evolves with time. Even Einstein said that the most important was creativity, imagination, the rest will follow. You have your tools, and you will see what you will do with your tools. But it is your imagination that will take you where you want to go.

	Jean Audrain et les vehicules de secours du CERN.

Q : Selon toi, quels sont les défis liés à ton travail ?

JA : Dans mon quotidien, il y a des choses planifiées mais il y a aussi beaucoup d’imprévus à gérer. Sur la SCR, il y a régulièrement des choses qui ne fonctionnent pas exactement comme il faudrait et cela demande de la réactivité. C’est pour cela que j’espère que les outils vont évoluer pour que l’on puisse être plus efficaces et performants.

Il faut aussi de nombreuses connaissances techniques sur le matériel utilisé qu’on acquiert avec l’expérience et les différents contacts que je peux avoir avec mes collègues du CERN.

Q : Que fais-tu en dehors du CERN ?

JA : J’ai deux enfants de 7 et 9 ans, ce qui demande beaucoup d’énergie : j’essaie de passer beaucoup de temps avec eux. Après je passe beaucoup de temps en extérieur, en hiver en faisant des randonnées en raquettes notamment dans le Jura, côté Suisse, et en été en me baignant dans le lac Léman. J’essaie de profiter au maximum de ce que la région a à offrir.

Cela ne fait pas longtemps que je suis dans la région, donc je fais beaucoup de visites touristiques dans les environs de la région pour mieux la connaitre. Ma visite préférée pour le moment a été le musée Patek Philippe qui porte sur l’horlogerie.

J : Est-ce que tu penses que tes activités ont un impact sur ton travail au CERN ?

JA : Oui, cela a un impact dans le sens où cela me redonne de l’énergie pour le travail au CERN. Les activités extérieures me permettent de me dépenser physiquement, de me vider la tête car le travail est quand même très présent ; cela met une certaine pression donc ça me permet de trouver un équilibre. J’ai en outre la possibilité de faire du sport sur mon temps de travail pour maintenir une bonne condition physique : c’est important de par mes fonctions et ça aussi participe à mon équilibre.

*Note de l’éditrice : ce projet a été discuté dans le HSE TMB le 26 janvier (ouvert pour tout le personnel HSE).

	Anastasiia Ovdiienko in front of her work building - the Fire brigade!

I joined HSE in September to work on the HOR project. This project is an initiative that started at the beginning of Benoît Delille’s mandate. It aims to optimise the operational response that the Unit provides, communicate and work on improving processes and understanding of roles to make them clear for HSE people and external stakeholders. At the end of this project, within the framework design and implementation we would like to develop something similar to the admin e-guide, but for HSE with all the information stated clearly.

Q: What do you like about working in this project?

AO: In general, project management interests me because it is wide in scope, and each project you work on is different. You dig much deeper than your specialty. Depending on what it’s about, you have multiple work packages and multiple stages, so you work on one thing then you switch for another.

The HOR project has so many aspects. For instance, the first and the second work packages are about stakeholders’ cartography, mapping of the HSE operational response and interviewing members of various Sectors, Departments and Technical experiments in order to identify safety risks and emergencies which need better coverage by HSE and will further feed other project work packages. These work packages provide a broader view of what is Safety at CERN, how it is perceived by the stakeholders. You have to step out of your skill set and understand how everything works from a technical point of view and what each Department does, etc. It is challenging and at the same time it is really exciting.

For HOR, it is important to have a deep understanding of how everything is organised and be creative and rigorous at the same time to be able to propose points for improvement.

Q: What do you do outside CERN?

AO: I spend a lot of time doing sports, such as badminton, stretching and acroyoga. I also play the piano and I just subscribed to the CERN Jazz Club.

When I was an administrative student in BE, my colleague introduced me to badminton. At the time, I thought it was an easy game but then when I tried, I could not stop, I soon became addicted. I started with stretching a bit later and it really helps at work. Most of the time you’re so rational and stay in your head. Stretching helps to move your body, to be flexible both physically and mentally.

	Oriol Rios in his office. Can you spot the fire truck?

We also work on the FIRIA (Fire- Induced Radiological Integrated Assessment) project, where we look at the risk of fire in radioactive facilities and what the potential impact is for first responders, bystanders and the environment. We start from the radioactive source, to model indoor fire dynamics, outdoor dispersion. Then we calculate the radioactive dose yield to the environment and propose mitigation measures to the analysed facility. The interesting part of FIRIA is that it is a HSE transversal project, involving OHS, FRS and RP and uses state-of-the art tools and methodologies.

Through FIRIA and our regular fire risk assessment we also support the CERN Fire & Rescue Service in assessing the conditions for interventions and closely work with them in fire prevention activities.

Q: Do you have any collaborations outside CERN?

OR: We also try to find some time to do some research and share our tools and methodologies that are both important for our work and useful outside CERN. We have collaborations with universities doing research on fire and other CERN-specific topics, and we also co-supervise master’s degree students in these contexts. We publish occasional peer review articles on fire modelling, identifying fire risks and testing campaigns. The fire science field is quite a narrow world, so it’s a great way to get to know all the actors in the domain.

Given our unique facilities, sometimes the examples are not necessarily relevant for finding solutions outside CERN. Even if we team up with other accelerator facilities that have similar problems, as we did during the International Technical Safety Forum (ITSF) in October, their issues are usually smaller in magnitude, but we can learn a lot during those exchange and identify new possible solutions.

Q: What do you think are the main challenges of your job?

OR: At CERN, we deal with unique facilities. Most of them were built a long time ago when the safety standards were not the same as today. So, one big challenge is to bring those facilities up to the current standards, with all the constraints (time, money, geographical, etc.) and find the most appropriate solution.

Fire risks are also different from other risks in that everyone has a relation to fire in one way or another. At home, you might light candles, have a fireplace, or cook on a gas stove: it is something tangible. This personal fire experience can lead people to underestimate the fire risk in an industrial setting like CERN.

Q: What do you do outside CERN?

OR: I think we are very lucky being in this region and I like to be out there to explore nature. I like to walk up the Jura in the mornings and I also like to go ski touring, when there is snow. I am responsible for the ski touring section of the CERN Ski Club, where I am also an instructor.

I used to ski even when I lived in Barcelona, but I have definitely increased how much I ski since I arrived here six years ago, as it is much more accessible (and eco-friendly!).

Q: Do you think that your personal activities have a positive effect on your job, and/or vice versa?

OR: In the mountains there are some non-negligible risks (rocks, falls, avalanches, etc.) and you have to constantly perform some level of risk assessment. Moreover, the risk profile is currently changing a lot in the summer, especially with the climate change and there are new approaches and tools that help mitigate those risks. I would not say that I deal with these risks in the same way as I do when working, but in some way is the same process: learn, identify the hazard, explore risk reduction measures, assess if it is acceptable or not, and then, safely, enjoy it!

Q: What would you say are the main challenges of your job?

I think one of the biggest challenges we have as an organisation is that some applications that are currently used at CERN are becoming old and their technologies are becoming obsolete. Choosing between rebuilding old applications or starting completely from scratch is one of the most challenging but also one of the most interesting aspects of my job.

If we want to further develop old applications, we need to investigate how and why they were made – a bit like reverse engineering. Also, sometimes you change things because you think it looks nicer and simpler, but people are so used to the old way that you end up reverting and not changing it at all. On the other hand, if you build something new, you can really design it in a way that corresponds to the Organization’s needs, but it also requires more time to have a working version ready. There are pros and cons to both approaches.

Q: What do you think about the future of safety computing?

PM: Generally, the future is looking quite bright for software engineers, especially regarding safety in a big organisation like CERN. Our team faces a big demand for new projects. I’m happy with the progress CERN has made so far: we have improved a lot in terms of safety in the past years, but of course there is always room to advance more. A key to this is collaborating with all the different stakeholders to be able to provide a useful solution or a tool that increases the overall safety. Right now, we are working on adding compatibility to electrical inspections in SAILOR, which will further improve the general safety practices at CERN. Other than this, we have a few other new projects and, as always, the endless improvement of some of our older applications.

Q: What do you do outside CERN?

PM: I started playing the violin when I was around five years old. I tried a lot of instruments, but in the end the biggest choice was between the violin and the flute. I ended up choosing the violin since I was able to make noise immediately! At around 13-14, I learnt to play the guitar as well, because it felt a bit more “trendy”. After a break to focus on my studies, I picked up the violin again in my 20s and started playing more improvisational music with my friends in bars and restaurants around my hometown. When I came to CERN, one of the first things I looked for was music activities. I ended up finding out about the CERN MusiClub and quickly joined a group called “Let it beam”. Later, I also joined the United Nations orchestra, which was great for me because then I could get both the improvisation and rock side, as well as the classical music. Then in 2018, along with four other friends from CERN, we created a rock band called the Iberian Pigs, which is still active.

Q: How does playing music help you in your work at CERN?

PM: Music is helpful in so many ways. Personally, the whole learning music process improved my memory and focus; playing music with other people also helps promote a certain level of communication. You need to both take up space and know when to just listen and sit back. Playing in concerts allowed me to be comfortable in front of a crowd, which is good for presentations. And I think the improvisation aspect has helped me keep my calm at work, and to not get too stressed when things don’t go as planned. And last but not least, music makes me happy in general, so it helps greatly with the work-life balance.

Anyone present at the HSE barbecue in June 2022 got the pleasure of hearing Pedro play.

Q : Selon toi, quels sont les principaux défis auxquels tu fais face dans ton travail ?

NB : Le principal défi auquel on fait face est technique : le CERN a plus de 400 voies de mesures qui sont en permanence en train de donner des informations sur les activités du CERN et ses rejets. Il faut vérifier le fonctionnement, la qualité des mesures, la métrologie du matériel et aussi voir les améliorations et les adaptations que nous pouvons apporter à ces équipements pour répondre aux enjeux liés aux problématiques de pollution que l’on peut rencontrer.

Notre travail nous permet d’assainir la situation environnementale du CERN et d’éviter d’avoir à subir des pollutions en réagissant rapidement et en communiquant avec les personnes ou services sur le terrain afin de les sensibiliser sur l’importance du respect des règles. Et j’ai pu constater que depuis mon arrivée, il y a eu de nombreux changements dans les mentalités au sujet de la protection environnementale. Le personnel comprend qu’il ne faut plus seulement se concentrer sur leurs installations et leur travail mais aussi sur les impacts qu’ils peuvent avoir sur l’environnement à travers chaque action.

Q : Que fais-tu en dehors du CERN ?

NB : Cela fait presque 8 ans que je fais de l’apiculture. Tout a commencé grâce à une discussion avec un vieil apiculteur qui m’a donné ma première ruche. Je l’ai amenée au CERN et avec un collègue nous avons créé un club d’apiculture pour lequel un apiculteur est venu nous faire découvrir cette discipline.

J’ai très rapidement accroché avec cette discipline qui repose énormément sur l’observation, la contemplation, la patience, elle est aussi très liée aux saisons, à ton environnement, elle t’ouvre donc à d’autres curiosités. Maintenant, je partage cette passion avec des amis et d’autres personnes qui sont intéressés par cette discipline, c’est un savoir très convivial qu’il faut partager.

Q : Travailler à HSE dans le groupe environnement et faire de l’apiculture, il y a une certaine cohérence entre les deux. Dirais-tu que HSE a permis de développer ton intérêt pour l’environnement ?

NB : Travailler à HSE dans le groupe environnement a exacerbé mon intérêt et ma curiosité pour tout ce qui nous entoure, et l’apiculture répond à cette curiosité. La curiosité que je peux avoir dans mon travail et celle que j’ai avec mes abeilles est assez naturelle, c’est le même état d’esprit et les deux demandent beaucoup d’observation, de rigueur et d’intérêt pour le vivant. J’ai d’ailleurs une idée de recherche qui pourrait me permettre de combiner les deux. En effet, j’aimerais pouvoir utiliser les abeilles pour pouvoir échantillonner sur une zone et voir si l’on peut retrouver des polluants dans leur miel.

Q: How did you end up working at CERN?

YH: I worked at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute as a lecturer and then I moved back to Jordan to work in the Jordanian Research Reactor, as we aimed to build a nuclear power plant. I worked there for two and half years and then I got the opportunity to come to CERN.

Q: What do you think are the challenges in your job here at CERN?

YH: CERN is a friendly and easy environment; all the people, supervisors, various departments and of course my team are very supportive. The most challenging thing for me is not speaking French. When I arrived in Moscow, I learnt Russian and now speak it fluently, but here it is different.

Besides the language barrier, you can lose yourself just by walking in the middle of buildings. The CERN maps application really comes in handy!

Q: What do you think lies in the future of radiation protection at CERN?

YH: CERN must always operate while keeping their workers safe. I think that radiation protection is one of the most important groups in that regard. It’s all about keeping everything and everyone safe and compel them respect the regulations. I also think that radiation protection goes deeper than regulatory matters, it’s also about the environment and the public acceptance of a facility.

Q: What you do on your free time outside CERN?

YH: Well, everything closes at 7:30 pm so you do not have a lot of options... This was not the case when I lived in Jordan or in Moscow. I like sports, going hiking and other outdoors activities. And of course, spending time with friends and watching Netflix.

Q: We saw you being one of the grill masters at the HSE barbecue, do you like to cook?

YH: I used to live alone so I do cook quite a lot. I am always cooking for friends, family, at home, at work, etc. For me, one should stick to what they are good at. I’m good at cooking, so I take on the chef role in my group of friends. This way we can all enjoy our shared time together. I guess it’s similar to what we do here at CERN. We have experts in respective fields doing what they do best and together making it a good place to work.

Q : Selon toi, quels sont les principaux défis auxquels tu fais face dans ton travail ?

UT : Personnellement, toute la période COVID a été un véritable challenge car on ne se savait rien à l’avance, on était dépendant des nouvelles qui venaient des Etats Hôtes. Professionnellement le défi était de s’adapter au télétravail, et travailler efficacement dans ces nouvelles conditions.

Ensuite, je dirais que mon défi continu est d’être un bon superviseur, que mes supervisées avancent, qu’elles trouvent le dynamisme et la motivation et qu’elles soient satisfaites de leur travail.

Je gère maintenant les challenges du quotidien beaucoup plus sereinement grâce à l’expérience et la maturité que j’ai acquises au fil des années, il est plus facile de prendre de la distance. Quand on est plus jeune, on a tendance à moins oser, alors que maintenant ce n’est plus quelque chose qui me retient.

Q : Que fais-tu en dehors du CERN ?

UT : J’ai une vie bien chargée en dehors du CERN. Autant physiquement que créativement.

J’ai commencé à faire du karaté par hasard il y a 35 ans maintenant, je cherchais un sport à faire en arrivant en France et j’ai essayé cette discipline malgré la réputation plutôt violente qu’elle avait à l’époque et maintenant je suis la présidente du club dans lequel je pratique depuis ces 35 ans. Les quelques fois ou j’ai dû arrêter pendant une longue période, j’ai vraiment ressenti un manque. C’est quelque chose qui fait travailler le corps et l’esprit et qui apporte une sérénité, une confiance en soi. C’est vraiment une façon de vivre qui me convient.

À côté du karaté, je fais aussi du yoga, des randonnées, de la marche nordique. Puis pour le côté créatif, je fais de la couture. Ma mère était couturière, j’ai toujours plus ou moins su me débrouiller mais je m’y suis remise depuis quelques années et je fais de nombreux projets en fonction des modèles que je peux voir et des tissus que je trouve.

Q : Qu’est-ce que tout cela t’apporte au quotidien ?

UT : Je dirais que cela m’apporte un certain équilibre. J’ai toujours quelque chose à faire et toutes mes activités sont complémentaires.