U.S. Department of Energy Voluntary Protection Program Outreach and Assistance Visit with Transitional Applicant Battelle Savannah River Alliance at Savannah River National Laboratory

In February 2024, members of the U.S. Department of Energy Voluntary Protection Program (DOE-VPP) team from the EHSS-12 Office of Worker Safety and Health Assistance, Mr. Matthew Ramsey and Mr. Moises Atiles, met with Battelle Savannah River Alliance (BSRA) staff at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) during a 1-day onsite outreach and assistance visit. The DOE Office of Environmental Management awarded BSRA the SRNL Management and Operating (M&O) contract in December 2020 after the laboratory was separated from the Savannah River Site M&O contract. SRNL employees were previously recognized as Star participants, the DOE-VPP highest designation for safety and health excellence, as part of the Savannah River Site M&O contract. However, BSRA applied for DOE-VPP participation as a standalone entity under the new SRNL contract in 2023. The DOE-VPP team members traveled to SRNL to discuss current DOE-VPP processes, personnel, and assessment practices as well as to familiarize themselves with BSRA management, employees, work areas, processes, and challenges in advance of the BSRA DOE-VPP assessment scheduled for 2025. The BSRA team, with the instrumental coordination of Mr. John Miller, warmly and enthusiastically received the DOE-VPP assistance team and provided detailed presentations, engaging discussions, and informative tours highlighting BSRA employee efforts towards ensuring safety and health excellence. 

The DOE-VPP promotes continuous improvement in safety culture and safe work practices through cooperative efforts by managers, employees, and bargaining units (where applicable). The DOE-VPP community welcomes the addition of BSRA to its collaborative network of DOE staff and site contractors. For more DOE-VPP information, visit /ehss/voluntary-protection-program or contact the DOE-VPP team at [email protected].