EM contractors across the complex have been honored with a variety of awards for safety and health excellence in DOE’s Voluntary Protection Program.
Office of Environmental Management
November 10, 2020
minute read time
EM contractors across the complex have been honored with a variety of awards for safety and health excellence in DOE’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) this year.
Working through cooperative efforts among labor, management, and government at DOE contractor sites, the VPP promotes improved safety and health performance through public recognition of outstanding programs.
The awards were presented during the Annual DOE-VPP Participants Meeting. Normally this meeting would have been part of the Annual Safety+ Symposium sponsored by the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants Association, but this year’s symposium was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was held virtually and the awards were shipped to the winners.
Two employees at the Savannah River Site were honored with the VPP Champion Award, given to only three employees in the DOE complex each year. The site’s awardees were Melanie Gibson, with liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation, and George Wisner, with EM contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions.
The VPP Star of Excellence Award is presented to VPP Star sites that maintain an injury/illness rate at least 75% below the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) industry average, meet annual VPP goals, actively mentor other companies, and demonstrate strong community involvement.
The following companies received the VPP Star of Excellence Award:
- CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley, cleanup contractor at the West Valley Demonstration Project.
- CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company, EM Richland Operations Office contractor at the Hanford Site.
- Fluor Idaho, cleanup contractor at the Idaho National Laboratory Site.
- Mission Support Alliance, site services contractor at the Hanford Site.
- Parsons, Salt Waste Processing Facility contractor at Savannah River Site.
- Portsmouth Mission Alliance, EM Portsmouth Site infrastructure support services contractor at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
- Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, EM contractor at Savannah River Site.
- Savannah River Remediation, liquid waste contractor at Savannah River Site.
- Washington River Protection Solutions, tank operations contractor at the Hanford Site.
The VPP Superior Star Award is presented to VPP Star sites that maintain an injury/illness rate 50 percent better than comparison industry based on BLS data, meet annual VPP goals, actively mentor other companies, and demonstrate strong community involvement.
The following companies received VPP Superior Star Awards:
- North Wind Solutions, EM contractor at the Transuranic Waste Processing Center at Oak Ridge.
- Wastren Advantage, EM contractor at the 222-S Laboratory at the Hanford Site.
- Waste Treatment Completion Company, Bechtel National Inc. subcontractor at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at the Hanford Site.
The DOE VPP Legacy of Stars Award distinguishes a company that has excelled in outreach and mentoring, and has demonstrated sustained excellence in worker safety and health. The award goes to those that would have achieved the Star of Excellence for a fourth consecutive year. They receive the Legacy of Stars Award in lieu of a fourth Star of Excellence Award.
The following companies received VPP Legacy of Stars Awards:
Intermech, a subcontractor to Waste Treatment Completion Company at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at the Hanford Site.
Mission Support Alliance, site services contractor at the Hanford Site.
UCOR, Oak Ridge cleanup contractor.
VPP began in 1994 to promote improved safety and health performance through publicly recognizing outstanding programs. Since that time, DOE has seen improved labor and management relations, reduced workplace injuries and illnesses, increased employee involvement, improved morale, and reduced absenteeism at participating sites.