SólasNua BCBL News

Issue 1, April 2010

Into Summer

Bake Sale ISO Audit Quinn Healthcare Photo Comp. Recipes

Welcome. Hello and welcome to the first edition of Sólas Nua. Sólas Nua – meaning New Light – was the winning title from our recent ‘Name the Mag’ competition and the winning entry was suggested by Marguerita Sweeney from the Quality Department. Sólas Nua is a magazine for the employees of BCBL, written by the employees of BCBL and published quarterly. We would love to share your stories about travel, activities, hobbies etc so if you would like to contribute to the publication please let us know. If you don’t like the idea of writing but you have an idea for an article, let us know. We will help! If you would like to contribute an article or have a suggestion for the magazine please send an email or call Roisin on extension 1406. Thank you. Roisin Canny. Patricia Warshell April 2010

Beckman Coulter Clare hosted it’s first ever Cake Sale. The sale took place on the 25th of March in support of The Irish Cancer Society, Daffodil Day Appeal. Over €900 was raised and the company has matched our efforts, bringing the total amount to over €1900. The Cakes that were donated were amazing and all items sold out in the lightning time of twenty minutes. Thank you to everyone who supported this event!

– Daffodil Day

Employee News

Presentation by Dermot Freeman to Bernie in the Fillpack area

Bernadette Anglim’s Retirement Bernadette Anglim said goodbye to Beckman Coulter Biomedical after nearly ten years of service. Bernadette retired on the 18th of March, 2010. Bernadette worked in the Fill Pack Department in the Packaging section and will be missed by her co-workers.

Enjoy Your Retirement!

Inter-firm Soccer

The Beckman Coulter Soccer Team has recently begun to compete in an inter-firm six-a-side Astro League. All games are played at the Castletroy Sports Park in Limerick. The Beckman Coulter Team has played one game to date but unfortunately the lads were defeated! The nine team members are Dermot O’Hanlon, Richard Fitzgerald, Andrew Hannon, Mark Leslie, James Meehan, Keith Lynch, Liam Malone, Joe Dillon and Andrew White however replacements are always needed. If you want to get involved or if you would like to come along to support the team, please contact Dermot O’Hanlon from the Formulation Department.

Births Life is filled with lots of things that make it worthwhile but none is better than the love found in your baby’s smile. Congratulations to all our new parents.

Linda and Kevin O’Brien are the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy whom they named Ronan. Tracey and Fergal Whelan welcomed home little baby Tara. Christmas came early (or late!) for Paul Flanagan and his wife Helen…they got the gift of their beautiful baby girl, Amy. Barry and Siobhan Beirne have had a new baby girl. They will call her Ruth.

We wish you all every health and happiness for the future. Marriages

We take this opportunity to wish Cartha Donovan and his wife Sinead all the best on the recent nuptials. Our hope for you is that you will have many years of enjoyment and bliss with each other.

Hello/Goodbye We have already parted company with Brian Hickey, Jason Brogan and Catriona Neilan who left us earlier in the year. We wish them every success for the future. Joanna McAulliffe has worked with the company for nearly two years. During this time Joanna held positions in the HR and Document Control Department and finally the Customer Services Department. We wish Joanna all the very best for her future. Claire O’Brien has been another recent departure. Claire has worked with the company at various stages in her career and will be missed by her friends and co-workers. New starts and returns Julia Dukai and Lorraine Keane (Bowen) are welcome back to us again. Julia returned to the RA Department and Lorraine has joined the QA Department. Please also extend a warm welcome to Marguerita Deignan who has recently joined the CSU Department.

We said a sad farewell to Niamh Fallon who finished up on the 26th of March. Niamh has worked for the company for nearly 6½ years and will be missed. Niamh however, will not have any time to miss us as she is expecting her second baby in May.

Cancer Awareness Bulletin

The foods you choose each day are one of the most important factors in helping protect you against cancer. Many people eat a diet that is far too high in fat and calories. Even more important is what the average diet lacks: a variety of vegetables, fruits and wholegrain foods. Eating a healthier diet protects against cancer, but also against heart disease, stroke and a number of other health problems. How is diet related to Cancer? Dietary factors are thought to account for around 30% of cancers in the developed world and 20% in developing countries. Research shows that many forms of cancer are preventable and that as many as 30-40% of all cancer cases can be prevented by the types of food we choose to eat. Large reductions of physical activity over the last thirty years along with increasing obesity in many populations have rendered many people more susceptible than ever to developing certain cancers. Obesity particularly can increase the risk of cancers of the food pipe, bowel, breast, womb and kidney. Large quantities of alcohol can lead to oesophageal, liver and throat cancers, along with an increase in the risk of breast cancer.

Dietary Supplements In some circumstances dietary supplements are useful – for example, taking folic acid during pregnancy. However, scientists believe that it is the complex mix of vitamins and minerals found naturally in foods that help to reduce our risk of disease. Scientists now think that these nutrients work together to help fight off illnesses such as cancer. The same effect cannot be achieved by taking dietary supplements. Therefore, the best advice is to carry on eating your five or more portions of vegetables and fruits a day and avoid popping those pills as a substitute for a healthy diet. How can I help Prevent Cancer? Eat a balanced diet that is low in fat and refined carbohydrates and rich in fruit, vegetables, pulses, lean meat, fish, poultry and whole grains. • Eat high fibre foods like wholegrain bread, high fibre breakfast

cereals like porridge and muesli, wholegrain pasta, beans, peas and lentils.

• Eat at least five different portions of fruit and vegetables every day • Eat smaller and fewer portions of processed fatty meats – try

seafood, and protein rich beans, nuts or seeds instead. • Select foods low in fat and salt. • Read and compare food labels.

Cycling in Clare By Ann Howard

With the arrival of the long summer evenings, why not take a cycle around the roads of Clare? I had an aim to take part in the Tour de Burren in 2008. So, with a little bit of training and a borrowed bike, I completed the 60km circuit. Things have only gotten better since that day. After surviving the rain, headwind and making it up the energy-sapping (or lung-bursting??) Corkscrew Hill, I though I’d never go cycling again. Needless to say, being from the picturesque area of the Burren, how could I resist not taking part in the 2009 tour? Last year 2009, saw a much better tour - sunshine, fabulous food stops (cheesecake, apple tart and lots of sandwiches) and an even better bike made for an excellent day out. Up to 800 cyclists took part from the fun family cycle to the 160km challenging cycle. But two years later maybe I’ll take on the 160km Tour de Burren!!! Cycling has grown in popularity over the last number of years. The introduction of the cycle to work scheme has also added to this. Within the county there a number of cycling clubs. Joining a club helps with the training and pushes one to ones limits, which I found out recently. (Didn’t realize there was so much to cycling.) What I did notice that some motorist can be very inconsiderate. So motorists….be aware of cyclists especially at junctions. So if you need some more encouragement to get on your bike how about this? Sky Ride Étape Hibernia is coming to Clare. This inaugural 135km (approx) cycle is on closed roads, starting and finishing in Ennis. This takes the costal route Ennis – Miltown Malbay- Ballyvaughan – Ennis. It is one of a series of closed roads cycles and the organisers are expecting 2000 cyclists for Ireland and abroad. I plan on participating in this event myself. Some dates for your diary: An Post Cycling Series Tour de Burren – 19th June 2010 http://www.burrencyclingclub.com Sky Ride Étape Hibernia – 22nd August 2010 http://www.etapehibernia.com

2010 Beckman Coulter Photography Competition

Its back! Entries for the 2010 Beckman Coulter Photography Competition are welcome. The subject categories are as follows:

1. Sport/Hobbies

2. Landscape/Environmental

3. Travel/Architecture

4. Fun/Animals/Miscellaneous

Submissions and the competition rules and upload instructions can be viewed at G:\HR\2010 Photo Competition. Entries should also be uploaded to G:\HR\2010 Photo Competition.

H ISO 14001 Audit

BY Bryan Tobin

We successfully completed our 4 day re-registration audit for our ISO14001 standard and we were awarded with a compliance certificate. The audit cited numerous positives with respect our environmental performance and this reflects the effort that each department demonstrated in terms of keeping records, storing their chemicals appropriately, minimising waste and awareness of energy conservation. Well done!

Extract from the auditors report – The management system and its effectiveness is demonstrated by: - achievement of energy reduction targets - reduction in haz-waste quantity (chemical effluent) - no environmental complaints - % compliance with effluent discharge licence - water quality in Craggaunkeel and Rosslara lakes - performance in regulatory audit - performance in Corporate environmental audit

The continual improvement process is performing well and the following examples demonstrate this:

replacement of manual storm water cut off valve with an electronic system

company proposal to identify positive as well as negative environmental aspects /impacts is a good indicator of maturity of company management system and desire of company personnel to further improve company environmental performance.

installation of a rain gauge in order to better manage reed beds proposed willow plantation replacement of air blown conveying system with a vibrating feeding

track which reduces the amount of energy used by a quarter.

Audit Finding No non-compliances were identified during the audit and only five observations were obtained which included four category 3 observations and one category 2 observations.

• One elevated parameter in our discharge license in January 2010 • An improvement on our contractor control is needed • The addition of some environmental questions asked to our

suppliers during the external quality audits • The introduction of an evacuation communications programme

called "ETHANE" for all employees to be trained up on.

Confined Space Entry Definition - Confined Space is an enclosed space where certain hazards are likely to exist. Recently we have obtained approval to improve the safety standards of any employee who has to work within confined spaces. The improvements include the introduction of steel beams to be installed on certain areas identified within the facility. These will be used along with a winch system to lower the worker into the confined space. Specialised training has been given to the engineering Dept and also a new permit to work for confined Space has been introduced. Other confined Space work equipment such as a Tripod & Winch, Gas meter, harnesses and a vertical retractable winch has been purchased to improve safety and aid in the rescue plan. Only trained personnel are permitted to work in confined Spaces within the facility and all of the engineering team have been successfully trained. List of Areas where confined Space work must be carried out.

• All manholes located on the facility • Super tanks (3) in Formulations • Chemical waste tank (QC) • Chemical waste tank (Formulations) • Effluent WWTP Sump, Aeration tank and Process water tank.

CONFINED SPACE DANGERS

WATCH MY GARDEN GROW

by Anne O’Brien 2010 seems to be the year for gardening and finally after 2.5 years of living in my house, I’ve decided to tackle the garden. Each year I’ve meticulously removed the ragwort, thistles, dandelions and docks….I am a farmer’s daughter after all, but short of that, I've just left Mother Nature have her wicked way. I’ve always dabbled in plants….cacti and succulents mainly….they’re great, they’d survive anything….drought, neglect and even me! This year, I want to get my house in order, plant a lawn and some shrubs, get a patio down AND I’m going farming….I’m going to grow some vegetables! Apparently, gardeners fall into two groups; those who put all their energies into growing plants and those who concentrate on the ground they grow in. “Belong to the second” they say! Therefore I’ve been digging my garden for the last 3 weeks. All the stones I’ve removed are the foundations of my new shed and there’s more left to dig. I’ve five bags of manure coming, topsoil to source and the raised beds to organize. Thankfully, there’s a Family Meitheal planned for early May! I’ve started the lettuce, rocket and peas off in pots. The clock is ticking so I need to start thinking about the cauliflower, sweetcorn, artichokes, onions, chives and herbs. I’m also going to plant the edible flower nasturtium, also known as a companion plant as they attract pests away from cabbages and lettuce. Other companion plants are onions – they disguise the scent of carrots to protect them from carrot fly and marigolds deter slugs. The experts suggest planting something you’ve never tasted …for that SURPRISE element, so that’s where the Jerusalem artichokes come in. It is also suggested to plant something you hate to eat, it will taste totally different when home grown out of your own garden. Well I can tell you now that Brussels sprouts will never again pass my lips so it’ll be either cabbage or turnip! I’ll be back in the next edition with an update on how I got on…..

“The garden” April 2010

FOOD COURT

To make the Sauce 1. Fry off the onion and crushed garlic with the olive oil until soft. Add the chopped

tomatoes, red wine, pepper, basil, oregano, and sugar and beef stock. 2. Bring the sauce to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes and liquidise. Add salt,

pepper or more sugar to taste as required. To make the Meatballs 1. Mix the minced beef, chilli and bread crumbs together in a large bowl. Add the

beaten egg and mix through. 2. Roll small amounts of the mixture in your hands. This should make around

15 - 20 meatballs. 3. Add the olive oil to the pan and fry the meatballs until golden brown. 4. Add the meatballs & juices from the pan to the sauce and simmer for 20

minutes. 5. Meanwhile cook the tagliatelle, drain and keep warm. 6. You are now ready to serve your delicious meatballs! As an additional touch,

you can top with fresh parmesan shavings. Low fat options:

Use low fat cooking spray instead of olive oil. Use turkey mince instead of minced beef. Serve the meatballs & sauce with a green

salad instead of the tagliatelle.

For the Sauce 1 tablespoon of olive oil 1 red onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 400g can chopped tomatoes 100mls of beef stock 50mls of red wine Half a red pepper, chopped 1 teaspoon of sugar 1 tablespoon of basil 1 tablespoon of oregano Salt and pepper

For the Meatballs 1 tablespoon of olive oil 400g minced beef 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped finely or 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes 2 tablespoons bread crumbs 1 egg beaten

Tagliatelle with Spicy Meatballs

By Arianna Cahill

Fresh Fruit Meringues For the Meringues 4 large fresh eggs separated 8 oz of caster sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence For the Chocolate decoration 100g dark cooking chocolate To separate the eggs 1. Use fresh eggs and make sure that your metal bowl is clean and

completely dry. 2. Separate the egg whites, ensuring NO YOLK is mixed into the egg

white. A good tip is to crack each egg separately into a cup, and pour each egg white into the metal bowl one at a time.

To make the Meringues 1. Beat the egg whites with an electric whisk until stiff but not dry. You

should be able to make a figure 8 or turn the bowl upside down – be brave!

2. Add the castor sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well between each addition.

3. Once all sugar has been added, add the vanilla essence and beat for another 5 minutes.

4. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Gently scoop up 1 tablespoon of meringue mix and place onto a baking tray. Swirl into shape with a metal spoon. Six meringues should fit on the tray.

5. Place in a preheated oven at 125ºC for 90 minutes. 6. Allow the meringues to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar

(overnight is ideal). 7. These meringues will keep for up to one week. To make the Chocolate decoration Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over warm water. Using a piping bag with a very fine nozzle, quickly drizzle the chocolate onto parchment paper in the design of your choice. Place in the fridge for half an hour. Before serving, scoop or pipe whipped cream on top of meringues, add fresh fruit and dust lightly with icing sugar. Top off with your chocolate decoration. Enjoy!

Easter Draw

The winners in the Employee Easter Draw are:

• Michael O’Reilly • Paul Flanagan • Tony Casey • James Meehan • Joe Harney • John Tiernan • Margaret Conway

Focus on Beckman Coulter Galway In every issue of Sólas Nua we will feature an article about the products manufactured by our sister company in Galway. This month we will look at Rotors.

Rotors By Caroline Conway

What is a Rotor – what does it look like? What is it used for? The centrifuge Rotor, as manufactured in Galway, is an essential part of the centrifuge system. Centrifugation is a process that involves the use of centrifugal force for the separation of mixtures, used in industry and in laboratory settings. More-dense components of the mixture migrate away from the axis of the centrifuge, while less-dense components of the mixture migrate towards the axis. In chemistry and biology, increasing the effective gravitational force on a test tube so as to more rapidly and completely cause the precipitate ("pellet") to gather on the bottom of the tube. The remaining solution is properly called the "supernate" or "supernatant liquid". A centrifuge is a piece of equipment, generally driven by a motor, that puts an object in rotation around a fixed axis, applying a force perpendicular to the axis. The centrifuge works using the sedimentation principle, where the centripetal acceleration is used to evenly distribute substances (usually present in a solution for small scale applications) of greater and lesser density. There are many different kinds of centrifuges, including those for very specialised purposes. It can be used for viable counts, when shaking the culture e.g. yeast, out of suspension. The centrifuge Rotor, as manufactured in Galway, comes in a large range of designs and sizes for spinning the many different varieties of sample capacities.

Most of us appreciate the need for careful design, handling, and maintenance of certain kinds of laboratory equipment – the optics of a spectrophotometer for instance. It may not be obvious, however, that anything as substantial-looking as a centrifuge Rotor must be designed to exacting specifications, and properly maintained during use in order for it to fulfill its life expectancy.

If you consider that during rotation an ultracentrifuge Rotor may experience 1,000.000 times the force of gravity, it becomes apparent that seemingly minor flaws will assume much greater significance at these high g-forces. In effect, one gram will weigh 1000 kilograms, and a tiny flaw in a Rotor forging may generate stresses greater that the Rotor was designed to withstand. (see sketch).

How is it made? The most critical component of a Rotor Assembly is the Rotor forging which is supplied by approved specialist vendors in the USA. Prior to shipment, the forgings receive ultrasonic testing and dye penatrant testing to check for surface cracks or voids within the forgings. The equipment used in the manufacture of Rotors is highly sophisticated CNC machine tools capable of working to extreamly exacting tolerances. Each Rotor can undergo as many as seven different machining operations befor reaching its final dimensions as specificed in the manufacturing drawings. Some of the raw materials used to manufacture Rotors include Titanium, Alluminium, Stainless Steel & Carbon Fibre. All Rotors must be balanced to remove any excessive imbalance that is caused by excentricity which may occur during the machining process. The balancing specifications for a typical TL Rotor is as low as 2 Gm/Inch. All Rotors and components are either painted, anodised, electropolished or microsealed. Alluminium Rotors are anodised to protect against corosion which can lead to premature failure of the Rotor. The anodising process has the duel effect of producing an aesthetically pleasant appearance, in a range of colours, and provides a non corrosive protective film which is only 0.0004” thick. (A human hair is 0.0040” thick).

ACTIVITIES

SciFest is a local one-day science fair held in third level colleges and open to all second level students. A SciFest fair includes a competition and exhibition of projects, a selection of science talks, science demonstrations in the college laboratories and a prize-giving ceremony. SciFest aims to encourage a love of science through an investigative approach to learning and to provide an opportunity for students to display their scientific discoveries. LIT will be holding their Scifest on the 27th of April. Beckman Coulter Biomedical Ltd is a Silver Sponsors of this event. A representative of the company will attend on the day to present an award and we will report on the event in the next issue.

GOLFING

UPCOMING EVENTS

Celt Weekend in the Woods at Bealkelly Woods, Tuamgraney. Weekend in the Woods 2010 - 8 / 9 May, 17 / 18 July, 2 / 3 October 19 Traditional Skills & Heritage Crafts including youngsters courses (8yrs +). Courses include: Needle Felting / Longbow Making / Pole-lathe Construction / Herblore / Sugan Chair / Greenwood Furniture / Leatherwork / Fishing for Beginners / Dry Stone Walling / Woodcarving / Silversmithing / Felting / Natural Building / Basketry / Blacksmithing / Spinning & Weaving / Coppersmithing / Stonecarving / Woodcrafts & Felting & Rustic Art for 8-14yrs. See www.celtnet.org for more dates/activities.

Fleadh Nua 2010 – Ennis Co. Clare. 23rd May (9 days in duration). The programme for 2010 will include concerts, cèilithe, sessions, street and gig-rig entertainment, Irish language classes, dancing and much more.

3rd Clare Burren Marathon Challenge, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare. Ireland’s Spectacular Adventure Marathon The Clare Burren Marathon Challenge will take place on May 22nd at 9am. Each participant has a choice of full, half or mini marathons on the day. All three challenges start in Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare and all three take you on and off road to the finish line on The Pier at Ballyvaughan.

The Embrace Exhibition - Glòr, Ennis, Co. Clare – 10am to 5pm, May 3rd – 29th An Exhibition of work produced by people with disabilities from throughout the county through the Embrace Programme. Free Admission.

CROSSWORD

by Eavan Gleeson

Irish History: Magical myths and mysteries

Ireland is a land of enchantment, and not only for its beautiful cliffs, glens, and castles; but also because of its magical legends. We have all heard of the Loch Ness monster, but there are also some lesser known tales that one may find interesting. On the website Ireland's Eye, one can read some fascinating tales about some fascinating "creatures of Irish myth" which they say "may not be entirely fictional." First, are the fairies, which aren't quite as cute as those on the cartoons. Specifically, there is the well-known leprechaun, or leath bhrogan, which means shoemaker. Leprechauns are said to guard the ancient treasures buried by the Danish when they plundered Ireland. Leprechauns are considered sly. They try to avoid humans but if they do come into contact with one, they will offer wealth in exchange for being let go. Other fairies are mentioned on the site as well, though it is not a complete list. There are the 'cousins' of the leprechauns, the cluricauns, who may steal or otherwise create chaos in the middle of the night. There are the pooka, who sound suspiciously similar to the storybook character Rumplestiltskin, as they raid the countryside, absconding with crops, cattle and even humans. Yet another fairy is the bean-nighe or bean-chaointe (banshee) who comes howling at one's door to announce death. Another eerily familiar fairy is one with a character reminiscent of the Headless Horseman. This fairy is called a dullahan. Dullahans are said to ride through the night, head-in-hand. If a dullahan should happen to call out someone's name, it means the dullahan seeks that one's head. Finally, one can read of the moruadh (merrow). The name is a combination of muir (sea) and oigh (maid). Merrows are female and mermen are males. Other legends one may want to study include the four-leaf clover, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and the Blarney Stone. Source: www.irelandseye.com