EH-9312 Issue No. 12, December 1993 Occupational Safety Observer
DECEMBER 1993
Occupational Safety Observer
This issue marks the beginning of the Observer's second year of
publication. We have chosen to commemorate our first anniversary
with an issue devoted entirely to good practices.
The purpose of the Observer, as we stated in our first issue, is
to raise the awareness of the DOE community about occupational
safety incidents and issues. Discussions of specific accidents,
incidents, and near misses are the best way to present this
information, but these discussions sometimes lead the Observer to
focus on the negative. We recognize that there are a great many
positive practices occurring throughout the complex, and we would
like to take the occasion of our anniversary to highlight some of
these good practices in this special issue. These articles
complement other good practices articles that have occasionally
appeared in the Observer.
The Observer depends on your input and continued support. If you
have ideas for articles, concerning either incidents or good
practices, or if you have comments on articles the Observer has
published, contact the coordinating editor at (301) 903-2033.
If you would like to subscribe to the Observer,
contact John Everett at
(206) 528-3552 (fax) or (206) 528-3246 (voice).
Have a happy and safe holiday season.
Listen, Learn, and Help:
BETTER COMMUNICATIONS LEADS TO SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT OAK
RIDGE
DOE and contractor personnel are taking a "total common
sense" approach to deal with safety issues at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory (ORNL). This informal approach is based on creating
an environment in which managers and workers can improve their
ability to listen to, learn from, and help each other. Since
efforts to identify root problems were initiated at ORNL in the
fall of 1992, communication between personnel has improved and
the number of adversarial relationships has diminished, leading
to enhanced safety initiatives.
Background
The DOE Site Office and the ORNL Plant and Equipment
Division, participating under the guidance of the ORNL Safety and
Health Protection Division, started using this new approach to
safety when DOE field personnel began conducting "walkdowns" of
reportable incidents. These walkdowns were part of DOE
management's implementation of the Facility Representative
Program, an effort to improve safety across the DOE complex.
Organizational changes provided workers with the chance to
increase their involvement in safety programs.
Page 2 Occupational Safety OBSERVER
A combination of enhanced worker interest in safety,
positive reinforcement by contractor management, and field work
by DOE personnel has had several positive results. Workers are
not as apprehensive about raising concerns as they used to be.
According to Bill Cooper, the Senior Site Representative at Oak
Ridge for the DOE Headquarters Office of Environment, Safety and
Health, "Adversarial relationships have gone away."
Communication between workers and managers has increased, as has
the level of individual accountability. Workers are taking more
initiatives to solve problems, and managers are typically very
supportive of these efforts. In particular, craft workers
"jumped on the bandwagon," according to Michele Branton, a DOE
field representative involved in the changes.
Safety improved
Many safety improvements at Oak Ridge have resulted from
worker initiatives.
Workers have participated in organizing a safety response
team, which consists of a pipefitter, an air-conditioning/refrigeration
specialist, a carpenter, and an electrician. These four workers respond
to safety problems that can be resolved on the spot, within a few hours'
time. As a result, problems are resolved faster than they would have been
using the old system, which required more paperwork.
As other workers began to notice the results achieved by
such efforts, many have tried to develop their own proactive
approaches. For example, workers asked to be sent to a training
class on shoring and excavation so that they could provide
solutions to onsite problems related to these activities. The
workers want to organize a quick response team to deal with
potentially dangerous conditions.
Maintenance workers at ORNL were challenged to decontaminate
laboratory hood systems contaminated with crystallized perchloric
acid salts (a potential explosion hazard). Not only were they
able to do the job safely and without incident, they completed
the task at less than one-fourth the cost proposed by another
contractor.
High-technology safety problems often get the highest level
of attention at DOE sites. Simple problems, such as maintaining
water quality, may receive less attention. A group of
pipefitters at ORNL recently went to a water-quality school,
recognized a problem at their facility, and decided to put their
new knowledge to work. They are now active members of a
committee assessing waterline cross-connections and backflow
prevention.
Worker involvement encouraged
Several factors have contributed to the safety improvements
cited above. Michele Branton credits these successes to
Occupational Safety OBSERVER Page 3
"listening, learning, and helping when you can. An extra 5
minutes spent listening to a skilled craftsperson can lead to a
solution to a problem a few weeks later." Similar successes
could take place throughout the DOE complex if workers and
management would establish and maintain open lines of
communication, demonstrate mutual respect for each others'
abilities, learn from one other, and help each other resolve
problems.
Such common sense practices can minimize adversarial
relationships and allow people to work to their maximum
potential, thereby leading to a safer work environment. For more
information, contact Michele Branton at (615) 576-4530.
System Selected for Pilot Program:
CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM INTRODUCED AT HANFORD
DOE has established a worker protection pilot initiative to
identify outstanding models for contractor occupational safety
and health programs. Once identified, these models are
transferred to other contractor sites, where they are implemented
as pilot programs. Thirty-four model program descriptions were
submitted to DOE Headquarters for review and evaluation; of
these, four were selected for the worker protection
initiative--an electrical safety program developed by Sandia
National Laboratories, Albuquerque; a hazard communication
program developed by EG&G Idaho; a confined-space entry program
implemented at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site; and a system for tracking
chemical inventories developed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory
(PNL). This article focuses on the Chemical Management System
(CMS) introduced by PNL at its Hanford location.
Response to a need
After several minor chemical-related incidents, senior PNL
management at Hanford recognized the need to keep track of
chemicals used on site and to specify the hazards associated with
each chemical. A multidisciplinary effort was launched to
develop a solution. The result was CMS, which was developed by a
PNL team and submitted for consideration as a DOE model program.
CMS not only helped to meet regulatory requirements, it minimized
the time required for data entry and reduced chemical waste on
site.
The program helps PNL achieve compliance with regulations
developed by DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency, and OSHA,
as well as with environment, safety, and health requirements
specified by the Washington State Administrative Code.
CMS highlights
Page 4 Occupational Safety OBSERVER
CMS is a UNIX-based software program designed to inventory and
track all chemicals used in research and operations. Chemicals
can be tracked by container from procurement to disposal. Users
procure chemicals by making a request through CMS, which in turn
automatically generates a purchase request. When a chemical name
is entered into the system, records are activated concerning
procurement, inventory, and waste management. If a chemical name
is not valid or verifiable, the system sends a report to
management for investigation.
CMS also monitors chemical inventories. Before CMS was
implemented, management had difficulty determining whether the
chemical inventory of a particular building or facility violated
quantity limits or other storage requirements. Under CMS, a bar
code is placed on each chemical container. This bar code
uniquely identifies each container; hence, taking accurate
inventory is as simple as reading the bar codes. Because the
inventory is current, users can immediately determine when the
quantity of a chemical in a given location is reaching an unsafe
level. CMS also provides information about chemical
characteristics and hazards, and it recognizes synonyms and trade
names for chemicals. For example, CMS "knows" that formalin
contains formaldehyde.
CMS has about 100 active users among the 150 personnel at
PNL who are trained to use the system. Anyone with a password can
use a personal computer, Macintosh, UNIX workstation, or "dumb"
terminal to access CMS on the Hanford local area network.
As part of the DOE worker protection initiative, PNL is actively
working with Brookhaven National Laboratory to establish a
comparable system at Brookhaven. Because CMS has already acquired
a reputation for excellence, the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and others have also
requested PNL's assistance in establishing similar programs at
their facilities. In addition, Argonne National Laboratory has
adapted basic concepts from CMS to improve its use of material
safety data sheets. Enhancements developed at these sites can
then be brought back to PNL at Hanford for incorporation into the
CMS model.
If you would like to obtain more information about CMS, call
(509) 375-2530 or write to the following address: Technology
Transfer Directorate, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, P.O. Box 999,
Richland, WA 99352.
Program Builds Safety Ownership:
VOLUNTEERS PERFORM INTERNAL REVIEWS AT LAWRENCE LIVERMORE
Building worker ownership of safety and conducting assessments
are two key activities required to ensure occupational safety and
health at DOE facilities. The Maintenance and Operations
Occupational Safety OBSERVER Page 5
Department of the Plant Operations Directorate at Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has taken an important step
toward accomplishing these goals through its Zone Inspection
Program. The program seeks to improve safety by using volunteer
craftspeople to perform regular inspections of facilities.
Volunteers provide the key to success
Since DOE instructed all operations organizations to develop
internal reviews for safety and health programs, contractors at
sites across the DOE complex have been doing just that. The
Maintenance and Operations Department at LLNL responded by
developing the Zone Inspection Program in 1991. The primary
function of this program is to administer inspections of 18
zones, covering all facilities within the department's
jurisdiction. Two workers perform inspections of one zone per
week, evaluating general housekeeping, machine and tool guarding,
motor vehicle equipment, and other areas for safety and health
deficiencies. Each shop has 12 working days to correct
deficiencies identified by the inspection team. These regular
inspections are intended to keep facilities "on their toes"
with respect to safety.
The use of volunteers as inspectors is an important element of
the Zone Inspection Program. Each two-person inspection team
consists of a health and safety technologist and a volunteer
craftsperson. Herb Snelling, Administrator of the Zone
Inspection Program, finds that using volunteers provides a number
of benefits to workers, to the program itself, and to the safety
culture in general. The high levels of commitment and enthusiasm
demonstrated by the volunteers have resulted in improved
inspections--especially when compared with those inspections
conducted during the first year of the program, before volunteers
were used.
Since accepting responsibility for inspecting their own
workplaces, the volunteers have shown a greater interest in, and
have developed a strong sense of ownership for, safety. These
volunteers also become more knowledgeable about, and involved in,
the workings of the department.
Another benefit of including volunteers from various backgrounds
on inspection teams is that "craftspeople from a cross-section of
disciplines provide fresh perspectives during safety inspections."
According to Snelling, "Our belief is that a wider array of
deficiencies will be spotted than if we hadn't used [the volunteers]."
This multi-disciplinary approach also increases the probability that a
safety deficiency missed during one inspection will be noticed by
a subsequent inspection team.
Finally, worker participation in the Zone Inspection Program
increases the probability that workers will accept both the
program and the increased workload resulting from identified
safety deficiencies. This acceptance, combined with the fact
Page 6 Occupational Safety OBSERVER
that authority for maintaining safety now lies at the worker
level, can help ensure that safety will be a cooperative effort.
For more information about the Zone Inspection Program at LLNL,
contact Herb Snelling at (510) 423-0504.
Vehicle Safety Program:
IMPROVING SAFETY FOR THE LONG HAUL
The DOE Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project (UMTRA) is
responsible for loading, transporting, and delivering the waste
materials (or tailings) that result from milling uranium ore.
Most of the mill tailings contain radionuclides and are therefore
generally classified as hazardous material. The tailings are
transported in 18-wheel tractor trailers: UMTRA has 65-75 of
these vehicles in service at any given time. Because the mill
tailings are transported over public roads, UMTRA vehicles must
satisfy the transportation requirements of both the U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT) and the individual States
through which they travel.
The program
UMTRA has developed and is continuously improving its highly
successful truck safety program. This multidimensional safety
program includes well-defined driver qualification standards,
driver training, annual driver certification, frequent truck
inspections, and an extensive preventive maintenance program.
UMTRA has developed a definitive driver qualification standard
that is based on (1) Federal and State requirements, (2) an
understanding of job-specific requirements, and (3) lessons
learned from years of experience. Each driver must pass a
written examination developed by DOT and a commercial driver's
road test. Drivers must also be knowledgeable about procedures
for handling hazardous cargo under both normal and emergency
conditions. Driver qualifications are reviewed annually.
Drivers receive training on all aspects of their job, including
procedures for loading the tailings and for UMTRA-related
activities at the truck staging area, on the haul road, at the
unloading area, at the decontamination facility, and on public
roads. Drivers are also trained on the North American Standard
for pre- and post-shift inspections, as well as Motor Carrier
Safety regulations. Drivers complete an initial 40-hour
hazardous materials course, which requires 8 hours of annual
refresher training, and 3 days of on-the-job training.
The UMTRA truck safety program also includes an extensive
inspection protocol. Drivers are responsible for conducting
both pre- and post-shift inspections of their trucks, and tires
Occupational Safety OBSERVER Page 7
are checked a minimum of every 2 hours while a truck is on the road.
Before a truck leaves the mill tailing site, the rig is inspected
by a quality assurance inspector, who ensures that each container
is properly sealed and that appropriate markings are in place.
Preventive maintenance represents another major feature of the
UMTRA safety program for tractor trailers. Preventive
maintenance is performed on a weekly, biweekly, and semiannual
basis. Daily inspections ensure that vehicles are maintained to
DOT standards.
Each tractor trailer is also provided with a complete set of
documents, including pertinent procedures, an inspection
checklist, and a detailed response plan for potential emergencies
involving the transportation of hazardous material.
Unique features
One key to the success of the UMTRA vehicle safety program is a
unique incentive system for drivers. The incentive system exists
at two sites and includes a daily performance review that is
based primarily on information accessed from an onboard computer
in each truck. The onboard computer is somewhat analogous to a
flight recorder for commercial aircraft. The computer records
data on speed, brake applications, and other parameters that are
used to reconstruct the driver's performance on each trip.
Drivers are rated on a scale of 0 to 10, and awards or
disciplinary actions are based on scores earned. For example,
drivers who receive 10s are awarded "Safety Bucks" that can be
exchanged for merchandise at local stores. A rating below 8.3
requires a review of the driver's overall performance and may
lead to disciplinary actions.
A daily performance rating might be expected to cause friction
between drivers and management. At UMTRA sites, however, the
capability to monitor driver performance was actually used to
establish the incentive system. The drivers themselves
contributed to the development of this new system--it was not
simply imposed by management.
Participation in the vehicle inspection program has provided
drivers with a sense of "ownership" for the trucks they drive.
Drivers also attend a weekly safety meeting, and they participate
actively in identifying and solving problems that can affect
safety.
Program effectiveness
The best measure of the effectiveness of the UMTRA truck safety
program is the fact that a fleet of 65-75 18-wheel tractor
trailers has traveled over 15 million miles on public roads with
a total of only four accidents. In three of these accidents,
the UMTRA truck tipped when the driver entered a curve at too
Page 8 Occupational Safety OBSERVER
high a speed. These accidents have resulted in improved training
for drivers.
The fourth and most recent accident occurred on October 15, 1993.
According to the ORPS report on this incident, another vehicle
turned in front of an UMTRA truck and the vehicles collided. No
one was injured in this accident; there was no release of
radioactive materials; and the driver of the other vehicle was
cited for failure to yield. The ORPS report states that the
driver of the UMTRA truck "obeyed all regulations imposed by the
project, the state, and local agencies" and was traveling at a
safe speed.
A performance assessment conducted by the DOE Rocky Flats Office
found that "the effectiveness of the UMTRA training programs was
demonstrated during interviews of a random cross-section of site
employees. All exhibited a high level of knowledge." For more
information on this program, contact Frank Bosiljevac (505)
845-5638.
References
ALO--UMTR-UMTRA-1991-1001
ALO--UMTR-UMTRA-1991-1011
ALO--UMTR-UMTRA-1991-1044
ALO--UMTR-UMTRA-1993-0041
Human Factors:
PROCEDURES IMPROVED AT KANSAS CITY PLANT
AlliedSignal Inc., operator of the DOE Kansas City Plant, has
undertaken the task of rewriting and improving the safety
procedures used by its workers. Before the revision, AlliedSignal
had a set of administrative procedures and another set of
operating procedures, each of which included both general plant
requirements and requirements for environment, safety, and health
(ES&H). As a result, ES&H procedures were scattered throughout
the two sets of plant procedures, making it difficult for workers
to access requirements in a timely and efficient manner.
Moreover, the procedure format was not user friendly, and workers
reported difficulty in locating necessary information.
Solution to problem with procedures
To remedy this situation, ES&H manuals were developed for
individual topical areas (e.g., industrial safety, industrial
hygiene, radiation protection, environmental protection, and fire
protection). Considerable research was conducted to determine
the appropriate format and content for these manuals. According
to Don Fitzpatrick, Safety Manual Coordinator, "We looked at what
other plants were doing with their procedures to come up with
what we thought was the best approach [i.e., procedure format and
Occupational Safety OBSERVER Page 9
presentation] for our plant." Each manual also has an
administrative procedure that specifies compliance requirements.
The Kansas City Plant has an effective method for distribution
and control of the new ES&H manuals. ES&H manuals are
distributed to custodians who are responsible for maintaining and
updating the manuals, ensuring that manual requirements are
implemented, and providing a mechanism for worker access to the
manuals. Management control of manual distribution is realized
through annual audits of distribution lists and documented
verification that manual updates have been received.
Followthrough
AlliedSignal has established a committee of users and ES&H
representatives to provide continual evaluation of the ES&H
manuals. This will help ensure that plant needs are met and that
requirements for the site are readily available and implemented.
To date, committee recommendations have included development of a
sitewide implementation and verification methodology,
establishment of divisional representatives as reviewers and
coordinators for implementation, use of a single point of contact
for the administration and control of manuals, and incorporation
of manual data into the SATURN computer network. The SATURN
network will provide plant personnel with direct access to ES&H
requirements and will eventually reduce the need to distribute
hard copies. This process will ultimately reduce costs and improve
the efficiency of procedures management.
For more information about the procedure upgrade program used at
the Kansas City Plant, contact Donald Fitzpatrick, Staff Safety
Engineer and Safety Manual Coordinator, at (816) 997-4922.
Improving the safety culture:
WEST VALLEY INITIATES DOE-VPP
DOE has recently followed OSHA's lead by establishing a voluntary
protection program (VPP) for worker safety. The program formally
recognizes those contractors who demonstrate excellence in their
worker safety and health programs. This voluntary program seeks
commitment from DOE and contractor management to improve safety
and health working conditions through active management involvement
and employee empowerment. This article discusses the DOE-VPP being
initiated by West Valley Nuclear Services (WVNS) at the West Valley
Demonstration Project (WVDP). Achieving a first-class safety culture
is like achieving a total quality workplace: the task is difficult
because it requires working toward clearly defined goals through a process
characterized by continuous incremental change. As stated by Tom
Rowland, Director of the DOE WVDP Office, "The DOE-VPP is like a
Malcolm Baldridge Award for safety--it promotes the concept of
continuous improvement."
Page 10 Occupational Safety OBSERVER
West Valley's acceptance of the DOE-VPP challenge was intended
(1) to build a safety culture that would improve safety
performance and (2) to establish new goals that would continually
exceed previous safety accomplishments.
Worker protection
How is WVDP benefiting from taking the DOE-VPP approach to
safety? First, implementing the DOE-VPP helps management to
allocate resources for preventing job-related injuries and
illnesses. Although WVDP has consistently achieved accident
injury rates that are well below the DOE average, this record "is
simply not good enough," says Bill Poulson, President and General
Manager of WVNS, a subsidiary of Westinghouse. "Good numbers
don't mean a thing when you are talking about injured employees."
West Valley achieved an excellent safety record in the early
1980s during the decontamination and decommissioning of the
nuclear fuels reprocessing plant. According to one person who
worked at the WVDP at that time, "We got the job done and did it
without getting anyone hurt."
Safety has always been a priority, but continued success depends
on a commitment to improve. Such improvements must be the result
of a disciplined approach to every phase of operations. The
DOE-VPP promises to be the key to building a stronger safety
culture at West Valley.
Although safety culture is something that is difficult to
measure, evidence that it exists can be found in a site's
collective commitment to safety. As Bill Poulson says, "The
DOE-VPP effort has already sharpened our focus on the
implementation of a world-class culture."
Worker involvement
Worker involvement is a central theme of the DOE-VPP. West
Valley is increasing worker involvement by introducing a number
of new work approaches and programs. For example, one new
approach has workers perform baseline hazard analyses for their
own work areas. This approach is especially effective because it
brings the people who are closest to safety and health issues
directly into the process of establishing stronger safety
standards.
One new work program, the WVNS Safety Observer Program, serves as
a channel for meaningful dialog on safety issues affecting every
department and labor group at the West Valley site. Last year,
workers participating in this program drafted and issued a new
procedure that gives supervisors an established time frame in
which to address safety concerns. If this time frame is
exceeded, the issue is entered into the site's open-items
tracking system, which in turn formally commits the contractor to
resolve the problem.
Occupational Safety OBSERVER Page 11
Another example of management's commitment to safety has been
demonstrated by the formation of the West Valley "FRESH"
Team--"Fast Response to Equipment and Safety Hazards." The FRESH
Team is made up of a group of maintenance specialists who have
been authorized to perform sitewide safety maintenance on a
"search-and-fix" basis. Team members serve on a rotating basis.
Because the FRESH Team can perform safety maintenance tasks with
minimal paperwork requirements for jobs that fall within their
scope of authority, its activities have effectively reduced the
number of small safety-related deficiencies at the site. Hence,
overall safety has improved.
Another important example of the WVNS commitment to safety is
demonstrated by top management's awareness of safety-related
incidents. All OSHA-recordable injuries or near-miss accidents
are reviewed by the appropriate first-line supervisor at the WVNS
President's weekly staff meeting. The meeting serves as a
lessons-learned session for members of the President's staff, who
in turn instruct managers and supervisors to discuss these
incidents at workplace meetings.
Internal reviews
In addition to the clear safety advantages that have resulted
from initiating the DOE-VPP, completing the DOE-VPP application
checklist has provided West Valley with an excellent benchmark
for evaluating its safety programs. As a result, the site has
been able to recognize and implement several good approaches to
improve its safety performance.
John Volpe, WVNS Vice President for Environmental, Health,
Safety, and Quality Assurance concludes that "the DOE-VPP
application process provides a rallying point for developing a
cooperative effort in addressing the important issues of worker
safety. Management commitment, employee involvement, and
accountability all come together in a way that produces a better
place to work."
For more information on how the DOE-VPP application process is
progressing at West Valley, contact Rick Provencher (DOE) at
(716) 942-4101, Paul Szalinski (WVNS) at (716) 942-4518, John
Volpe (WVNS) at (716) 942-2037, or Sanji Kanth (EH-312) at (301)
903-4516.