EM crews recently completed extensive lighting renovations across a facility supporting many critical missions at the Savannah River Site (SRS).
Office of Environmental Management
August 6, 2019
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AIKEN, S.C. – EM crews recently completed extensive lighting renovations across a facility supporting many critical missions at the Savannah River Site (SRS).
Workers safely replaced 30 light fixtures at the 717-F building using lifting equipment or scaffold they constructed atop a 30-ton crane deck.
Over the years, the building’s light fixtures burned out, prompting workers to use temporary lighting for work areas. The lights in the fixtures were difficult to safely access and replace — about 60 feet in the air — with interferences limiting use of an aerial lift to perform replacements.
Crews planned the renovations over many months, relying on a hazardous energy control expert and the site’s fire department to ensure safety. Experts also verified that workers were protected from falls from the scaffold by load testing the roof trusses.
A team of electricians, carpenters, ironworkers, crane operators, and others performed tasks such as ensuring proper controls for hazardous energy, construction of scaffolds, setup of fall protection, removal of old fixtures, and installation of new fixtures.
Workers safely completed the renovations over several weekends. The team then reviewed the project and identified improvements to extend the life of the light fixtures, thereby reducing the frequency of future light replacements.
The 717-F building is home to Savannah River Nuclear Solutions construction and maintenance groups, and the Savannah River Remediation construction group.