LM has safely and successfully delivered its mission.
March 22, 2021
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) has achieved three million safe work hours without a lost-time incident and has surpassed one million hours without a recordable work injury.
LM tracks workplace injuries that result in lost work time. The organization has not experienced any such cases in three million work hours, a time span covering roughly three years.
This includes field and office work and travel, including major construction projects, such as the Mexican Hat, Utah, Disposal Site Interim Cover Protection Project and the Rocky Flats Site, Colorado, Original Landfill Project. It also includes intensive field work by the Defense-Related Uranium Mines (DRUM) Program, a field visit to LM’s remote Amchitka, Alaska, Site, and other projects. “Safety doesn’t happen by itself,” said LM Director Carmelo Melendez. “It took all of us to create a cultural mindset in how we think, plan, execute, and look out for each other. Maintaining this mindset each day ensures that our priorities remain where they need to be.”
The Mexican Hat Interim Cover Protection Project, which addressed shallow depressions on the northeastern side slope of the disposal cell, required extensive preparation and planning to ensure the work was executed safely. The planning process focused on mitigating hazards associated with the use of heavy equipment, ensuring visitor and staff safety on an active and remote work site, and mitigating heat-related hazards.
The Rocky Flats Original Landfill Project involved installing 267 ground anchors and more than 4,400 feet of subsurface drains to alleviate downhill slumping of the steep slopes of the Original Landfill. The project was also carried out safely and with no risk of radiological exposure to the public.
An industrial hygienist monitors workers during LM’s Mexican Hat Interim Cover Protection project for signs and symptoms of heat stress.
The DRUM Program completed its 1,000th final verification and validation in 2020, a process that required extensive field work in remote areas to document the features and conditions abandoned mines through photographs, gamma surveys, soil and water sampling, and ecologic assessments.
“Safety is one of our core values in the Office of Legacy Management and so I’m very proud of reaching three million safe work hours,” said Brian Stewart, Safety and Health Program manager. “When it comes to safety and health, we work with staff at LM sites to plan the work and work the plan.”
The three million safe work hours achievement follows formal recognition in March 2020 of the LM Strategic Partner contractor with a Star award within the DOE Voluntary Protection Program. The Star award is the highest level of recognition within the program.