Complete Issue 1992-Fall
DOE/EH-0245 Fall 1992
THE SAFETY CONNECTION
Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health
U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585
To encourage safety awareness and information exchange on OSH activities,
the Office of Safety and Quality Assurance (EH-30) will distribute The
Safety Connection quarterly. This publication will provide information on
new Departmental directions in OSH and will highlight activities and
programs related to occupational safety.
OFFICE OF ENERGY RESEARCH'S ENVIRONMENT, SAFETY AND HEALTH INITIATIVES
Attention to safety, health, and the environment has become an integral
part of the way we do business," says Joe Maher about the Office of Energy
Research's (ER) commitment to new Department of Energy (DOE) policies on
line accountability for environment, safety, and health (ES&H). The
Director of ER's Office of Assessment and Support, Mr. Maher has major
responsibility for monitoring and improving ES&H programs in ER
facilities.
ER's mission is to advance science in areas ranging from particle
physics to molecular genetics through programs and projects in 17
facilities. These include many of the Department's prestigious National
Laboratories, smaller university-based laboratories, and new or planned
research sites, such as the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility
(CEBAF) and the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC).
The Office of Assessment and Support (ER-8) was created in 1990 to
meet DOE's new expectations for ES&H. The Office brought in professionals
to advise top management on policy and to give technical support to the
five ER program offices. Mr. Maher estimates that technical support
accounts for nearly 95 percent of the work done by his office. To handle
occupational safety and health (OSH) issues, the Safety and Health
Division, headed by Neill Thomasson, has hired various safety experts
including health physicists, safety engineers, a fire protection engineer,
and an industrial hygienist.
Current Initiatives
The Office is currently planning and implementing OSH initiatives in
communication, training, information and tracking systems,
self-assessment, DOE Orders, and guidance. Safety engineer Roy Lee
manages many of these activities. He stressed the need for programs that
assure ER can "keep on identifying and addressing specific deficiencies in
worker safety & health at the facilities."
-- Improving Communications --
To assure that managers and technical staff understand their ES&H
responsibilities, ER conducts regular meetings and conference calls with
program and field personnel. ER also holds two ES&H conferences each
year; the next one is scheduled for November 1992 in Gaithersburg,
Maryland. The Director of Energy Research, William Happer, or his
Principal Deputy Director, Bob Simon, participate in these meetings, which
have drawn up to 125 attendees. A part of each meeting is devoted to
problem resolution.
Keeping effective coordination and communication flowing between ER
programs and DOE's oversight offices is a major function of the Office of
Assessment and Support. The staff manage data for the Safety and Health
Five-Year Plan and collect and summarize input from all ER programs on DOE
Notices, Orders, and documents. ER personnel are serious about review
functions. "Recommendations on the draft RadCon Manual resulted in
significant improvements in the document," noted Mr. Maher.
ER recently expanded its E-mail system to the field for daily
communication. According to Bob Jarrett, who manages the E-mail system,
the Office uses E-mail to distribute documents such as the RadCon Manual
and its implementing guidance.
Technical assistance in solving OSH problems is a growing component
of ER's liaison with the Office of Environment, Safety and Health's Office
of Safety and Quality Assurance (EH-30). One example of this cooperative
relationship is the Electrical Safety Program Consultation Team, which
provides experts who consult with ER facilities on ways to improve
electrical safety. The Team is scheduled to make a consultation visit to
Brookhaven National Laboratory in FY 1993.
-- Training for Accountability --
ER has sponsored an ongoing series of 2-hour ES&H seminars for program
staff. Some 70-75 personnel have attended these sessions, which have
covered such topics as an introduction to OSH regulations, radiation
protection, the National Environmental Policy Act, quality assurance, and
the Clean Air Act.
Mr. Maher believes these seminars have helped to "further the
process of sensitizing managers to their responsibilities for compliance
by introducing the basic purpose, concepts, and history of the
requirements." Workshops scheduled for 1993 will provide more in-depth
ES&H training.
-- Information and Tracking --
A compendium of descriptions of all ER facilities is being written. The
document will include identification of safety characteristics of each
facility and provide baseline data for use in future assessments.
To track corrective actions, ER is also designing a database that
will roll up information from the facilities to the field and program
levels. Planned features include graphic displays, cost data, and fields
for ER comments on the status of each finding.
-- Self-Assessment --
Tiger Teams and other recent audits raised awareness of ES&H requirements
at all ER facilities. The lessons learned from each audit have been
widely shared. As a result, ER program managers have noted a steady
increase in the percentage of Tiger Team findings that the laboratories
have identified in their preliminary self-assessments.
In August 1991, ER issued a self-assessment charter, plan, and
guidelines to formalize the self-assessment process. The ER approach to
self-assessment requires efficiency and coordination of effort among all
participants. ER's goal is to minimize overlap, redundancy, and program
impacts by coordinating and collaborating on all site visits and audits.
-- Orders and Guidance --
The draft DOE Order on accelerator safety (5480.ACC) is in the final
stages of review. ER has sought the collective wisdom acquired over DOE's
long history of accelerator operation by incorporating input to the Order
from field organizations; EH; and the Offices of Nuclear Energy (NE),
Nuclear Safety (NS), and Defense Programs (DP). ER also plans new
guidance on using the risk prioritization model in the Safety and Health
Five-Year Plan & on reviewing employee ES&H concerns
Looking Ahead
ER plans to keep emphasizing comprehensive ES&H and self-assessment
programs at all facilities, to complete its current activities in
developing an OSH program plan, and to remain responsive to identified
requirements. With CEBAF, SSC, and other new projects that are underway,
construction safety will remain a high priority. ER made many
construction safety improvements after the Tiger Team stopped work at
Argonne in 1991. As a result, the Argonne Area Office program now exceeds
the current DOE Order's requirements. In all of these activities, ER
intends, as Bob Simon has stated, "to continue with a serious, reasoned
effort to meet our goals in environment, safety, and health and to do so
in a way that adds value and serves the best interest of DOE."
NEW DOE OFFICE PROTECTS CONTRACTOR WHISTLEBLOWERS
An Office of Contractor Employee Protection (OC) to protect
"whistleblowers" -- contractor or subcontractor employees who report what
they consider to be problems at DOE's facilities -- has been created. The
new Office will implement the DOE whistleblower rule 10 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), Part 708, which became effective on April 2, 1992.
"The primary mission of the Office is to ensure the right of
employees to come forward with information that they in good faith believe
evidences a violation of law, rule, or regulation relating to
environmental, health, or safety problems or waste, fraud, and abuse at
DOE facilities" said Sandra Schneider, OC's Director. OC staff will work
to establish or improve employee concern programs at DOE Headquarters,
field offices, and contractor sites, as well as build management
commitment to these programs. The Office will investigate allegations of
reprisal that employees believe resulted from voicing their concerns.
The new rules and procedures do not apply to DOE Federal employees,
who are protected against reprisal by the Office of Special Counsel under
the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989. For further information on the
Office of Contractor Employee Protection, call Sandra Schneider or Richard
Fein at (202) 586-8289.
UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTION SAFETY SYMPOSIUM AT SSC
The SSC Office and the U.S. National Committee on Tunnelling
Technology jointly offered a symposium on underground construction safety
at the SSC site in Desoto, Texas, on July 28-30, 1992. The SSC site, as
planned, will have approximately 70 miles of underground works; DOE's
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and Yucca Mountain Site also include
substantial underground work.
Presentations at the symposium emphasized tunnelling safety,
construction safety, workman's compensation for large projects, and the
perspectives of managers of large-scale projects. Presenters included
representatives from the SSC, the English Channel Project, the Milwaukee
Tunnel, the Washington, D.C. Metro Area Transit Authority, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, and the State of California.
For more information on tunnelling safety, call Jim Carney, ER-922,
at (301) 903-6583. Further information can also be obtained by writing to
Peter Smeallie, Director of the Geotechnical Board of the National Academy
of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Ave., Washington, D.C. 20418. The
proceedings of the symposium will not be published, but transcripts of the
presentations will be on file at SSC.
OSH Resources
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has
published the NIOSH Recommendations for Occupational Safely and Health:
Compendium of Policy Documents and Statements. The compendium lists all
NIOSH documents with recommendations on workplace hazards and identifies
adverse health effects and NIOSH-recommended exposure limits for the
listed hazards. Single copies may be ordered free of charge from the
Information Dissemination Section, Division of Standards Development and
Technology Transfer, NIOSH, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226,
(512) 533-8287.
Seven regulation-scanning software systems were reviewed in Occupational
Health & Safety, July 1992 (see Sam E. Gearhart "Seven Software Systems
Simplify Regulatory Compliance Priorities," pp. 16-17). All seven systems
offer monthly updates, and several offer packages with State regulations.
To request more information on each system or to order free demonstration
disks, call:
FastRegs................... (800) 446-3427
Hazard Master.............. (717) 691-5691
Legislative Information
System.................. (703) 941-0280
OSHA Authority............. (800) 645-4130
OSHA-Trieve................ (206) 637-9547
RegMaster.................. (800) 444-5019
RegScan.................... (717) 323-1010
The Integrated Technical Information System (ITIS), maintained by DOE's
Office of Scientific and Technical Information, is a computerized
information retrieval system that provides access to numerous biblio-
graphic databases produced by or obtained for DOE. One of these, the
Energy Science and Technology Database (EDB), contains almost 2500
citations in occupational safety and health. DOE and contractor personnel
may obtain on-line access to ITIS through commercial telephone lines, or
through ESnet. To inquire about a subscription to ITIS, contact the
Office of Scientific and Technical Information, DOE, P.O. Box 62, Oak
Ridge, TN 37831, or call (615) 576-1222.
The Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) publishes occupational safety
and health materials, including a Guide to Ergonomics in the Chemical and
Allied Industries, a Facility Safety Inspection Guide, and an Employee
Health and Safety Code Resource Guide. To request a catalog of CMA
publications, write to Publications Fulfillment, CMA, 2501 M St., N.W.,
Washington, DC 20037. CMA asks that all orders be placed in writing.
WRITE TO US!
If you have any comments or suggestions for improving The Safety
Connection, or if you are interested in submitting an article,
announcement, or information on a resource to be published in future
newsletters, please write to us at the following address:
The Safety Connection
Safety Performance
Indicator Division
EH-31.4 GTN
U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585
For distribution changes, additions, or deletions, please call (615)
576-3482.
EH SAFETY INITIATIVES
DOE and DOL Sign a Memorandum of Understanding
The Secretaries of Energy and Labor have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU), which became effective on August 10, 1992. The MOU
formalizes the two agencies' agreement to improve the quality of OSH
programs in DOE.
Major provisions of the MOU include the following:
o The Department of Labor (DOL) will provide DOE with direct
access to technical and scientific information and to
expertise available in OSHA.
o OSHA will provide DOE with continuous feedback on the status
and progress of DOE's OSH programs, including independent
evaluation of the changes DOE is making to improve safety and
health at its facilities.
o DOE and DOL will conduct joint programs in such areas as
training, model program development, and technical assistance.
o The two agencies will consult on compliance programs,
regulatory interpretations and variances, OSHA enforcement,
and special projects. The agreement also includes provisions
for temporary exchanges of personnel.
o OSHA will retain jurisdiction over the DOE Federal employees'
program, including the Tight to make inspections and
investigate Federal employee complaints. DOE will continue to
administer and enforce comprehensive OSH programs at its
government-owned contractor-operated (GOCO) facilities.
Secretary of Energy James Watkins called the memorandum "a milestone
in the occupational safety and health initiatives taken by DOE during the
past several years," adding that the agreement "demonstrates our
determination to open DOE to commercial standards and practices from which
our own goal of excellence in worker safety and health can be achieved."
Secretary of Labor Lynn Martin emphasized the value of cooperative efforts
such as this one to advance worker safety and health goals. The MOU
provides for formal contact between DOE Federal and contractor personnel
and OSHA through an EH-30 liaison within the Office of Occupational Safety
(EH-31).
Questions regarding this MOU and its implementation can be directed
to Dennis Lubow, EH-31.1, at (301) 903-2075.
Fire Protection for Plastic Overpacks
Polyethylene "overpack" containers are being used in increasing numbers
throughout the DOE complex to encase 55-gallon metal drums of waste
material. Often, these containers are stored inside facilities. The
resulting fire load represented by the plastic overpacks poses a
potentially significant fire risk.
In May, a series of fire tests were performed by Factory Mutual
Research Corporation under a contract with EH-30. Technical and material
assistance for the tests was provided by OR and Martin Marietta Energy
Systems, Inc., at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
The objectives of the tests were to assess the fire damage potential
of unprotected overpacks and to determine if conventional sprinkler
systems would be adequate to control a fire. Test conditions reflected
representative storage configurations and sprinkler design criteria.
Results of the tests reveal that unprotected overpacks represent a
severe fire hazard. The intensity of the fire was so severe that Factory
Mutual administratively terminated the test when it appeared that the test
facility might be damaged. However, in two tests with overpacks protected
with sprinkler systems, the fire was controlled after four sprinkler heads
operated.
The test report and videotape have been distributed to all program
and field offices. For additional details, contact Dennis Kubicki at
(301) 903-4794.
DOE's New Voluntary Protection Program
Recognizing and rewarding excellence in OSH protection is the goal of a
recent initiative to create a DOE Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) for
the contractor system. Modeled on OSHA's VPP, DOE's program will
recognize the following three levels of achievement in providing
comprehensive, effective, and systematic worker protection:
Star--for truly outstanding programs that provide models for other
contractors and show continuous improvement
Merit--a stepping-stone for programs on their way to Star status
Demonstration--a temporary category DOE can use when unusual
features of a workplace mean that the contractor's achievements
"pioneer" a Star quality program for sites of that type
DOE contractors would have to exceed basic compliance with
applicable standards and implement the following basic components of all
OSH programs to attain VPP status:
Management commitment and planning
Employee involvement
Workplace analysis
Hazard correction and control
Safety and health training
Under current plans, contractor facilities obtaining Star status
will be removed from some scheduled DOE worker safety and health audits
and appraisals, an approach similar to that adopted by OSHA and State
oversight programs. Investigations of emergencies, unusual occurrences,
and related events, as well as employee complaints and concerns, would
still be required. Manuals describing DOE's VPP program and explaining
the steps involved in the VPP process are in development.
Questions or comments regarding DOE's proposed VPP can be directed
to Ron Eimer, EH-31.2, at (301) 903-2927.
Progress Assessments: Mound Visit Completed
An 11-member team completed its progress assessment visit to the Mound
Facility in early September. Steve Singal, Operations Management
Division, Office of Performance Assessment, EH-32.1, led the team. The
areas covered included the following core progress assessment areas:
self-assessment program; corrective action program; oversight/policies and
directives; planning, budget, resource allocation; as well as selected
technical areas in safety, health, and environment. Safety and health
disciplines included OSH safety analysis reviews, operational readiness
reviews, and industrial hygiene. The team made its recommendations to
line management in September 1992.
The Progress Assessment Team concluded that satisfactory progress
has been made since the 1989 Tiger Team in the following areas:
o corrective actions for Tiger Team findings
o self-assessment
o planning, budgeting, and resource allocation
o environmental compliance
o operational readiness reviews
o industrial hygiene program
However, the team found improvements were needed in corrective
action systems for other than Tiger Team findings, directive
implementation, and ES&H oversight. The team concluded that EG&G Mound
needed to more fully incorporate OSH principles as a fundamental tenet for
all workplace activities. Finally, the team recommended that a special
OSH Assessment be conducted by line management, directed at selected work
areas at the Mound Plant, and that hands-on hazard recognition training in
the field be provided to EG&G Mound and DOE Dayton Area Office workers
with safety oversight responsibilities.
Curt Fellers, Vice President for Performance Assurance, EG&G Mound,
reported that the assessment was "very professionally conducted" and that
the team "worked very well with [the EG&G] staff." He noted that the team
was very thorough in the specific areas which they selected to review.
Mr. Fellers appreciated the opportunity to review factual information in
the team's reports and found the team receptive to information the
contractor provided. He termed it a good appraisal."
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Fire Safety Training
There is no cost for attending Factory Mutual courses other than travel
and lodging. This basic course was designed to give managers, fire
department officers and safety professionals a sound foundation in fire
protection engineering principles.
The series of DOE-oriented Life Safety Code courses planned for
Fiscal Year 1993 continue the presentations that began in 1992. The
course differs from those presented by the National Fire Protection
Association because it uses examples of life safety issues at DOE
facilities and approaches decisionmaking on the basis of flexibility
rather than literal code compliance.
Course When Where Contact
DOE-Oriented Life February 9-11, Germantown, Dennis Kubicki
Safety Code 1993 MD (301) 903-4794
To be determined Princeton, NJ
To be determined Livermore, CA
Basic Fire Protection May 10-11, 1993 Factory Mutual Dennis Kubicki
Engineering Research (301) 903-4794
Corp.,
Norwood, MA
Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) Courses
A DOE occupational safety and health training resource was established at
PNL to provide high quality OSH training that meets all applicable
requirements. To attend already scheduled sessions, please call the site
contact. To schedule a course for your site, contact Sue Vickerman,
Safety and Health Training, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, P.O. Box 999,
K5-24, Richland, WA 99352, telephone (509) 372-1286.
Course When Where Contact
Orientation to Occu- January 19-29, SR, Aiken, SC Julie Madden
pational Safety 1993 (803) 725-2015
Compliance in DOE
(P-101)
PNL also offers the following courses which have not yet been
scheduled for dates beyond November 1, 1992:
o Construction Safety in DOE (C-101)
o Excavation, Trenching and Shoring (ETS-101)
o Injury/Illness Recordkeeping (II-101)
Process Safety Management and Process Hazard Analysis
Module I (Day 1) of this course provides an introduction and overview of
the OSHA rule on Process Safety Management (PSM) of Highly Hazardous
Chemicals (29 CFR, Part 1910.119). This module examines the ways PSM
management elements may fit into existing programs and discusses strate-
gies for implementation.
Module II (Days 2 and 3) gives participants practical training in
process hazard analysis, including selection and application of
appropriate analysis techniques. Module II is restricted for personnel
with a technical background. Course participants, who are responsible for
process hazard analysis at nonnuclear DOE facilities, will receive copies
of the Arthur D. Little HAZOPtimizer software and other tools for develop-
ing a computer-based hazard analysis program.
Course When Where Contact
Process Safety | January 1993 Germantown, John Piatt, PNL
Management and | MD (509) 376-2128
Process Hazard | Dates to be New Orleans,
Anaysis | decided LA
| Dates to be Albuquerque,
| decided NM
ORDERS, REGULATIONS, AND GUIDANCE
Status of DOE/EH Safety Orders
DOE Order No. Subject Contact Status
5480.1B ES&H Program for Depart- Darrell Huff Being assessed for
ment of Energy Operations (301) 903-2136 possible cancel-
lation.
5480.3 Safety Requirements for Mike Wangler Coordinating with
the Packaging and Trans- (301) 903-5078 EM.
portation of Hazardous
Materials, Hazardous Sub-
stances, & Hazardous
Wastes
5840.4 Environmental Protection, Darrell Huff To be phased out
Safety, and Health Pro- (301) 903-2136 through the even-
tection Standards tual incorporation
of standards into
other safety
orders.
5480.7 Fire Protection Dennis Kubicki Informal comments
(301) 903-4794 are being
incorporated.
5480.9 Construction Project Kevin Sikora Informal comments
Safety and Health (301) 903-6523 are being
Management incorporated.
5480.13 Aviation Safety Mike Wrangler In coordination
(301) 903-5078 with PSOs.
5480.16 Firearms Safety Ed Patigalia In final prepara-
(301) 903-3972 tion for formal
review.
5480.17 Site Safety Mike Hillman Under revision.
Representatives (301) 903-5637
5480.NPH Natural Phenomena Jim Hill Formal comments
Hazards (301) 903-4508 are being
incorporated.
5481.1B Safety Analysis and Darrell Huff Coordinating with
Review System (301) 903-2136 NE for possible
consolidation into
DOE Order 5480.23,
"Nuclear Safety
Analysis Report."
5482.1B ES&H Appraisal Bille Lee Revision in
(301) 903-4884 concurrence.
5483.1A OSH Program for DOE Con- Joe Hopkins Informal comments
tractor Employees at (301) 903-5619 are being resolved.
GOCO Facilities (5483.XX)
5484.1 Environmental Protection, Dave Smith Recordkeeping,
Safety, and Health Pro- (301) 903-4669 injury/illness por-
tection Information tion included in
Reporting Requirements draft DOE Order
5483.XX. Coordi-
nating with NS.
5480.XX Onsite Transportation of Mike Wangler Comments are being
Hazardous Materials (301) 903-5078 incorporated.
5700.6c Quality Assurance Jacques Read Not yet implemented
(301) 903-2535 by many DOE
elements.
6430.1A General Design Criteria Darrell Huff Formal comments are
(301) 903-2136 being incorporated.
Preliminary Evaluation of DOE Chemical Safety
EH-30 has completed the initial phase of a general assessment of chemical
safety across DOE. The effort included onsite reviews of chemical safety
at five selected DOE sites (LANL, SRS, Y-12, ORNL, LLNL); compilation and
analysis of data and information on chemical use, requirements, programs,
and incidents across DOE; and a review of the status of DOE conformance
with the OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) rule. The results are
documented in an EH report, A Preliminary Evaluation of DOE Chemical
Operations and Programs.
While the reviews did not identify deficiencies in chemical safety
that were considered to be of major safety significance (that is, the
deficiencies did not pose an immediate danger or threat to workers, the
public, or the environment), some deficiencies in chemical safety program
definition, guidance, and management were observed. EH has developed a
series of actions and recommendations directed at the following:
(1) Providing additional guidance, processes and communication for
chemical safety (e.g., standards, good practices, a process
safety management guide, training, technical assistance, and
newsletters).
(2) Defining the basic functions and elements of chemical safety
and designating management responsibilities.
(3) Establishing a risk basis for chemical safety based on
occupational and nonnuclear safety policy.
The trip reports for the respective site reviews have been reviewed
with the cognizant PSOs and contractors, and are included as appendices to
the integrated report. Information on the Chemical Safety Oversight
Reviews or the EH report can be directed to Richard Serbu, EH-33.1, at
(301) 903-2856.
OSH Worker Protection Pilots (OSH/WPP): Nominations To Begin
The new OSH/WPP initiative, approved on July 27, 1992, by Secretary
Watkins, will select and pilot contractor programs in various OSH areas.
OSH/WPP's goal is to encourage efficient development and sharing of model
OSH programs across the DOE system. The overall purpose of the initiative
is to aid in the sharing of expertise, provide consistency in programs,
and, as a result, lower cost by reducing the effort for each facility to
develop safety and health program requirements. These pilots will
capitalize on the stronger contractor OSH programs to facilitate the
development of implementation approaches and procedures for the benefit of
all DOE contractors.
At the direction of the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety
and Health, Dr. Paul Ziemer, the OSH/WPP Work Group met in September and
October to review the process and develop evaluation criteria for
candidate programs. In November, the PSOs will be asked to nominate
programs from the facilities which they manage.
Questions or comments regarding the Department's OSH/WPP can be
directed to Michael Moore, EH-31.3, at (301) 903-5770.
DOE Interpretations Guide to OSH
The Interpretations Guide to OSH Standards is used by DOE employees and
contractors to help provide a safe workplace. The guide contains
compliance directives, DOE-prescribed OSH standards, DOE-adopted OSHA
standards, DOE-adopted consensus standards, and General Duty Standards.
Its interpretations are formal answers to questions posed about OSH
compliance. It is comprehensive, organized, and easy to use. For
example, a user unfamiliar with an official name may look in the key word
index (Index B) under the common industry phrase, such as "Lockout &
Tagout." The index will refer the reader to the formal standard, which in
this case is "Control of Hazardous Energy." Registered users of the guide
will receive updates each quarter.
-- 1-800-292-8061, Interpretations Response Line
DOE has set up a toll-free number to handle OSH inquiries from the field.
The 800 number is operational from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST. All personnel
staffing the lines have OSHA field compliance experience and a minimum of
a masters degree in safety or a relevant occupational safety and health
discipline. Most questions can be answered in a single telephone call,
and the Interpretations Line personnel follow up by sending a hardcopy of
the response to the caller.
Unprecedented questions (never asked before) require a more formal
response procedure to ensure that the response is correct and approved.
The requests are routed to subject matter experts who develop new
interpretations. A signed hard copy of the interpretation is sent to the
PSO, field office official, and requestor.
The guide will be accessible electronically on EH's new ES&H
Technical Information System in March 1993. For additional information
regarding the guide, please call Ray Rogers, EH-31.2, at (301) 903-7331.
Office of Aviation Operations Policy
Progress is continuing on the establishment of DOE's Office of Aviation
Operations Policy. The Aviation Management Board met in late September to
continue development of a program plan for the new office. The Board also
received the revised draft charter. These documents address the location
of the new Office within EH-30's organization and define Office functions.
Bob Barber is Acting Director of the Office of Aviation Operations Policy,
as well as Chairman of the Aviation Management Board.
DOE's Construction Safety Program
DOE's Construction Safety Advisory Committee met on November 3 and 4,
1992, in Orlando, FL, to resolve comments received from the informal PSO
review of the revisions to the draft revised DOE Order 5480.9,
"Construction Project Safety and Health Management." In a subsequent
session during DOE's Occupational Safety Conference in Orlando, FL, staff
of EH-30 reviewed the nature of the comments and their impact on the
schedule for formal review and publication of the revised Order.
DOE's Pressure Safety Program
Work continues on DOE's revised pressure safety manual. A draft for
review, which incorporates changes made by the Pressure Safety Committee,
was distributed in November to the 250 DOE pressure safety contacts and
their facility managers. The manual develops and describes basic elements
of pressure safety programs. It also incorporates appendices of technical
information to benefit the user. For more information on the manual, call
Ed Patigalia on (301) 903-3972, or Chuck Borzileri on (510) 422-6076.
DOE's Electrical Safety Program
More than 2,300 OSHA electrical safety findings were documented as a
result of Tiger Team assessments. These findings were the single largest
category of identified OSHA violations. Because of the large number of
identified electrical deficiencies, it is apparent that more emphasis must
be placed on electrical safety.
The DOE Electrical Safety Program will be sponsoring an Electrical
Inspector Certification course from January 11-16, 1993, in Dallas, Texas.
This course is open to all qualified DOE and contractor personnel who have
the responsibility to inspect electrical installations, review electrical
drawings and plans, and oversee electrical work activities. The course
consists of 40 hours of extensive National Electrical Code training and an
exam that is administered by the International Conference of Building
Officials (ICBO). Those who successfully pass the examination will be
issued a certificate by the ICBO certifying them as a qualified electrical
inspector.
Course size will be limited to 30 participants, and these will be
filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you would like to attend
the January course, please send your request, with a brief description of
your job responsibilities, to the address below. After the roster is
filled, any extra names will be automatically added to the next
certification course, which is tentatively scheduled for June 1993.
Additional information will be sent to the selected participants,
along with an application to take the exam. The fee for the examination
is $95, and it must be sent with the application to ICBO at least 45 days
in advance.
If you have any questions about the DOE Electrical Safety Program,
please contact Pat Tran at (301) 903-5638. If you have any questions
about the Electrical Inspector Certification course, please call Mike Bahr
at (208) 525-3950.
Formation of Task Group on Electrical Safety at DOE Facilities
As a result of a series of recent events involving electrical shock to
contractor employees at facilities across the DOE complex, the Under
Secretary has directed the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and
Health to establish a task group to immediately review electrical safety
programs and practices across the complex. The group is to identify
measures to improve and ensure the electrical safety of DOE and contractor
employees. The task group will be led by Oliver Lynch, Director, Office
of Performance Assessment, EH-32, and will include representatives from
the Offices of Defense Programs (DP), Environmental Restoration and Waste
Management (EM), Energy Research (ER), and Nuclear Energy (NE). Two
teams, made up of representatives of the cognizant PSO and field offices
and technical experts in electrical safety, began their field reviews at
specific DOE sites the week of November 9, 1992, and will continue into
mid-December. They will visit a total of eight major facilities,
representative of the complex, and having experienced electrical safety
incidents within the last 2 years. The Under Secretary has requested a
status report and preliminary findings from the group by November 30,
1992.
NOTEWORTHY PRACTICE
An accredited ES&H graduate-level 1-credit course entitled "Environmental
Safety and Health in the Chemical Laboratory" at Iowa State University was
initiated by Dr. Tom Barton, Director of Ames Laboratory. The course will
be a requirement for all chemistry students. It will be open to
undergraduate students as a prerequisite to research. The noteworthy
practice was identified by the Management Subteam at a Tiger Team
assessment of Ames Laboratory in March 1992.
Dr. Barton recognized the need to begin ES&H education during the
formative stages of research training. The goal of the course is not only
to provide the necessary information, but to instill the proper attitude
toward ES&H in students at the beginning of their research training.
The course, and the resulting research environment, will eliminate
the "culture shock" that some American scientists experience when
transitioning from the University to the more stringent environment of
U.S. industry and the National Laboratories. The course, which was
offered in September 1992, will train 50 students in ES&H in the chemical
laboratory.
ACRONYMS
BNL...................... Brookhaven National Laboratory
CEBAF.................... Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator
Facility
CFR...................... Code of Federal Regulations
CMA...................... Chemical Manufacturers Association
CSOR..................... Chemical Safety Oversight Review
DOE...................... U.S. Department of Energy
DOL...................... U.S. Department of Labor
EDB...................... Energy Science and Technology Database
EH-30.................... Office of Safety and Quality Assurance
EM....................... Office of Environmental Restoration and
Waste Management
EPRI..................... Electric Power Research Institute
ER....................... Office of Energy Research
ES&H..................... Environment, Safety and Health
ID....................... DOE Idaho Field Office
ITIS..................... Integrated Technical Information System
LLNL..................... Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
MOU...................... Memorandum of Understanding
NE....................... Office of Nuclear Energy
NIOSH.................... National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health
NS....................... Office of Nuclear Safety
OC....................... Office of Contractor Employee Protection
OR....................... DOE Oak Ridge Field Office
ORNL .................... Oak Ridge National Laboratory
OSH...................... Occupational Safety and Health
OSHA..................... Occupational Safety and Health
Administration
NAS...................... National Academy of Sciences
P&E...................... Plant and Equipment Division (ORNL)
PNL...................... Pacific Northwest Laboratory
PSM...................... Process Safety Management
PSOs..................... Program Secretarial Officers
RCRA..................... Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act
RF....................... DOE Rocky Flats Office
RL....................... DOE Richland Field Office
SEN...................... Secretary of Energy Notice
SLAC..................... Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
SLP..................... Safety Leader Program
SQUG.................... Seismic Qualifications Utility Group
SR...................... DOE Savannah River Field Office
SRS..................... Savannah River Site
SSC..................... Superconducting Super Collider
VPP..................... Voluntary Protection Program
WPP..................... Worker Protection Pilot
GOCO ACTIVITIES
ORNL Machine Guarding Program
The Plant and Equipment (P&E) Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(ORNL) has undertaken a major initiative to develop an effective machine
guarding program. P&E's campaign to improve guarding began when ORNL's
pre-Tiger Team Assessment found that many machine guards were not up to
OSHA standards, even though division operators had good safety records.
The Fabrication Department superintendent, Joe Whedbee, who manages
the program, recalls that "before 1990, we lived in the spirit of OSHA,
but never to the letter. We felt like our machines were adequately
guarded--a lot of guarding was out of compliance but considered adequate."
When the self-assessment found 671 deficiencies, just in P&E's
Fabrication Department, the Division launched a rapid response. Craftsmen
assessed the machinery against a safety checklist, drafted an action plan,
and set priorities for meeting guarding needs.
P&E was able to correct about 300 of its problems with purchased
machine guards, but the guards for other equipment had to be fabricated
in-house chiefly because many older machines were out of production. This
major effort drew upon P&E's machinists, millwiights, sheet metal workers,
and other craft workers to design, build, and install the new guards.
The craft workers did an excellent job of safety design because they
knew the equipment well. Some of the new guards were especially effective
at enhancing safety without obstructing the operator's access to the
machinery. David Weisgerber, general supervisor of the Fabrication
Department, also noted that because employees in the fabrication shops had
a role in designing and making the guards, they also accepted using them.
The Tiger Team identified the P&E machine guarding program as a noteworthy
practice, citing the use of employee teams for design, fabrication, and
installation.
The machine guarding program continues to be a safety success story
for ORNL. Over 1724 guards have been installed on equipment. P&E staff
have also helped other ORNL divisions identify and correct their guarding
deficiencies.
ORNL has given tours and sent information on the program to other
DOE National Laboratories and contractors. Among those who have toured
the Fabrication Department are groups from General Atomics, Princeton
University, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and Ames Laboratory.
Pinellas Safety Leader Program
The Martin Marietta Pinellas Plant has joined its commitment to improve
ES&H performance with another important goal -- employee empowerment
-- through the Safety Leader Program (SLP). The program, which began in
1990, was designed to institute the culture changes needed to make ES&H
the plant's major priority and to bring these changes about through
heightened employee involvement. SLP goals have been ambitious. They
include the following:
o Educating the workforce about the importance of safety both to
personal well-being and to customer (DOE) satisfaction.
o Increasing employee commitment, awareness, and "ownership" of
safety issues.
o Communicating safety issues and improving safety training by
tailoring it to plant units and functions.
o Identifying and correcting potential or existing hazards.
To meet these goals, volunteer Safety Leaders are recruited for at
least 1-year terms from each Pinellas work group. The Safety Leaders
develop monthly programs intended to increase their coworkers' awareness
of ES&H and to inform and train them in specific safety knowledge and
skills. Before they present programs, Safety Leaders receive extensive
training in both safety issues and communication techniques.
The Safety Leaders have created programs on such subjects as
chemical safety, ergonomics, hand and finger protection, and wellness.
Each session covers specific plant and work area concerns.
The monthly programs display a wide variety of formats, including
fairs, theater, videotapes, and workshops. Safety Leaders also enhance
employee learning and interest by designing programs around events, like
skills practice and ES&H game shows, that require the active participation
of all attendees.
The response to SLP has been positive, with 65 employees volun-
teering in the initial recruitment, and 80 in the most recent one. The
SLP Manager, Kathy Ferguson, and the Pinellas Training Manager, Dave
Trojnar, have been pleased with program results to date. Since SLP began,
the Managers have seen growing commitment to and enthusiasm for safety
among employees, greater safety proactivity, and declines in the Pinellas
Plant's injury rates. The Safety Leader experience also fosters employee
personal and skill development.
The Pinellas program is also gaining recognition throughout the DOE
system: on November 3, at the TRADE Conference in Seattle, SLP received
one of TRADE's awards for excellence in training. For information on
establishing a Safety Leader Program, call Kathy Ferguson at (813)
545-6767.
OFFICE OF SAFETY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITIES
EH Site Resident Program
An older program that has taken on a new face is the EH-30 Site Resident
Program (EH-30.3). The onsite representatives are EH-30 safety personnel
located at five DOE field sites (Savannah River, Oak Ridge, Idaho,
Richland, and Rocky Flats), who provide routine feedback on line
management's safety performance at these and other sites.
The program began in 1988 in response to a recommendation by the
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in its review of DOE's nuclear safety
program that greater independent oversight presence in the field was
needed. The onsite resident program that was established, in response to
NAS, mirrored that of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's regional
resident inspectors. With the advent of SEN-6 and Secretary Watkins'
emphasis on line management's responsibilities for ES&H, the onsite
resident program went through a major "facelift." The new program, which
was inaugurated in August 1991, substitutes performance assessments for
the former daily compliance walkthroughs. These monthly assessments focus
on the effectiveness of DOE line management oversight programs consistent
with SEN-6. Review of contractor safety programs is confined to a limited
sampling of workplace results to verify that DOE line management oversight
is effective and provides accurate feedback.
A Key Part of OSH Initiatives
The majority of topical safety issues and programs reviewed by the site
residents address OSH implementation. This reflects the key role that the
site residents play in gauging progress being achieved by DOE and
contractor programs in improving workplace safety. As part of the 1991
OSH initiatives, the coverage of the site resident program was broadened
to include sites other than the five original nuclear ones. The intent
was to provide feedback on OSH program progress at a variety of DOE sites
encompassing all of the key mission areas, including defense, nuclear,
energy research, and waste management and environmental restoration. The
OSH programs reviewed to date include hazard recognition and abatement,
construction safety, electrical safety, employee concerns programs, fire
protection, and hoisting and rigging. Critical feedback is also gained on
the adequacy of safety policies and implementation guidance, which is
passed on to the appropriate EH policy programs.
Designed to Minimize Impact
Recognizing the increasing burden of ES&H oversight at DOE sites, the EH
Site Resident Program provides an effective means to monitor safety
performance without unduly tying down increasingly limited line program
resources. One to two representatives are located at each of the five
resident sites. These personnel typically possess complementary
professional backgrounds in occupational safety and health (OSH), as well
as general engineering. Safety programs to be reviewed are coordinated
with DOE Headquarters and field management, in advance, with all results
reported on a 12 month schedule from the Assistant Secretary for
Environment, Safety and Health to the cognizant Headquarters Program
Secretarial Officer (PSO).
Introducing the EH Site Residents
The EH Site Resident Program may be small in number, but is a big part of
DOE's program to improve workplace safety. Following are eleven
individuals who make up this program and their locations.
EH Site Representatives
Name Site Phone No.
Bowser, Brian..................... ID..................... (208) 526-1910
Carson, Joseph.................... OR..................... (615) 574-9301
Cooper, William*.................. OR..................... (615) 574-3990
Cullison, Bob..................... RL..................... (509) 372-0787
Dreith, Gary...................... RF..................... (303) 966-5886
Everson, Robert................... SR..................... (803) 725-1591
Humphrey, Dave.................... RF..................... (303) 966-6218
Krasopoulos, Ari*................. RL..................... (509) 376-8155
Krupar, Joseph*................... RF..................... (303) 966-7517
Pelton, Gary...................... ID..................... (208) 526-1774
Wilkinson, William................ RL..................... (509) 376-8155
*Senior Site Resident
EH-30 staff anticipates that the site resident's unique perspective,
particularly in the OSH area, will remain an essential part of DOE's
program of safety improvements. A future role that is being given
increasing attention is using the representatives to improve communication
and information dissemination on OSH issues. Questions or comments on the
EH Site Resident Program can be directed to Michael Hillman, EH-30.3,
(301) 903-5637.
FUTURE WORKSHOPS
Workshop When Where Contact
DOE Workshop on Walk- December 2-3, San Francisco, Lillian S. Deeman
down Field Guide and 1992 CA (510) 294-4576
SQUG/EPRI Seismic
Qualification
Material
RCRA Definitions of December 8, San Francisco, Mort Lankasky
Solid and Hazardous 1992 CA (510) 273-4200
Wastes Workshop January 19, Albuquerque, Phil Monette
1993 NM (505) 845-4244
DOE Pressure Safety January 26-28 Clearwater, Chuck Borzileri
Conference 1993 FL (510) 422-6076
MORT-Based Root December 8-10, Washington, Jan Brown
Cause 1992 DC (208) 526-1397
February 9-11, St. Louis, MO
1993
MORT Accident January 25- Albuquerque, Jan Brown
Investigation February 5, NM (208) 526-1397
1993
February 22- Chicago, IL
Mary 6, 1993
Accident Investiga- January 26-28, New Orleans, Jan Brown
tion Refresher 1993 LA (208) 526-1397
Operational January 12-14, Richland, WA Jan Brown
Readiness 1993 (208) 526-1397
THE SAFETY CONNECTION
Safety Performance Indicator Division
EH-31.4, Room J-117 GTN
U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585