Hanford Contractor Collaboration Enhances Worker Safety

RICHLAND, Wash. – Radiation safety experts with EM Richland Operations Office contractors Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) and Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) recently teamed up to improve worker safety at the Hanford Site.

A team from HMIS visited the 324 Building mock-up facility, where CPCCo crews test and train on equipment that will remotely remove contaminated soil from beneath Hanford’s 324 Building, a former chemical and radiological laboratory near the Columbia River and the city of Richland.

CPCCo representatives discussed the concepts and controls they are using to successfully execute high-hazard work at the facility. A key component of the training was a demonstration of the enhanced safety protocols for putting on and removing — also known as donning and doffing — personal protective equipment to safeguard workers from contamination.

“The entire mock-up is a great example of ingenuity in operating remote equipment and the importance of hands-on training to prepare for high-hazard work,” said Melanie Wright, HMIS radiological safety training professional. “It’s critical that we continue to learn from each other, and my team looks forward to incorporating some of these processes in our own facilities.”

Mock-ups are used frequently at Hanford to allow employees to safely train and test equipment and procedures before performing work in an actual radiological environment.

“It was great to be able to share with the folks from HMIS how we train at the mock-up before performing work in the field,” said Leisha Rowe, CPCCo radiological control technician. “Cross-contractor training like these reinforce the value of our One Hanford approach, everyone working toward a common goal to accomplish the cleanup mission.”