Safety professionals with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) recently deployed a small device intended to have a big effect when it comes to worker safety at the Hanford Site.
Office of Environmental Management
May 14, 2024
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Zach Suess, an industrial hygiene technician with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company, hands a heat-stress monitoring armband to co-worker Amanda Wolfe. Hundreds of workers at the Hanford Site will begin using the battery-powered devices to help protect against heat stress during summer months.
RICHLAND, Wash. — Safety professionals with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) recently deployed a small device intended to have a big effect when it comes to worker safety at the Hanford Site.
A monitor and band worn on the upper arm by workers checks heart rate and core body temperature and relays the information to safety personnel supporting the work. The device is an early warning system used to prevent injuries and illnesses related to heat stress.
“Heat mitigation is critical at the Hanford Site, where workers perform physically demanding work daily, often in temperatures exceeding 90 degrees in the summer,” said Stan Branch, EM Safety and Health Division director for the Hanford Site. “We’re always looking for tools and technologies that can help us protect our workers.”
A battery-powered, heat-stress monitoring armband was tested before being deployed at the Hanford Site. The device allows safety professionals to monitor a worker’s heart rate and core body temperature on a computer screen in real time in the field.
The battery-powered monitor sends data to a website, allowing the contractor’s safety and industrial hygiene team to observe worker conditions on a computer screen. Safety specialists can monitor an entire work crew. The device is equipped with LED lights and pulses notify the worker and the safety team when alert thresholds are reached and protective action is needed, such as heading to a cooling station.
The monitor is similar to a system EM uses at Oak Ridge. A team from Hanford traveled to Tennessee to get a firsthand look at the system before deciding to implement it at Hanford.
While the device normally connects to a cellular network, it can also connect to Bluetooth, which is a key feature in facilities where cellular service is unreliable or even nonexistent.
“The new monitor is a significant upgrade over the system we used in the past and will play a significant role in enhancing worker safety across our projects,” said Courtney Smith, CPCCo’s Occupational Safety & Industrial Hygiene Programs manager.
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