This is my ‘second synchrotron’ – I also participated in the construction of the original ESRF synchrotron in 1991. At that time, I used to work in the vacuum group, monitoring the instrumentation to prevent air leaks in the vacuum chambers. Twenty-eight years later, my field of work has evolved to the role of EBS shutdown coordinator. During the 20-month shutdown, I had to know exactly what tasks were going on in each part of the storage ring tunnel at any time.
I started working on EBS in October 2018, two months before the shutdown, so I had to familiarise myself quickly with the master schedule and make it easy for everyone else to follow. I did this by preparing charts, task by task and zone by zone, to update staff on the progress of work, from the dismantling of the previous machine and civil works in the tunnel, to the installation of the new girders, front ends and straight sections, the piping and cabling, vacuum, and the testing and commissioning. I like to work ‘on the shop floor’, making sure that all the daily tasks are accomplished well and on time. You have to be proactive and responsive in this job to be able to adapt to different situations that may arise. It’s very rewarding, both technically and personally.