EM Office of River Protection (ORP) tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) recently reached a major safety milestone, surpassing 8.3 million work hours.
Office of Environmental Management
December 7, 2021
minute read time
RICHLAND, Wash. – EM Office of River Protection (ORP) tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) recently reached a major safety milestone, surpassing 8.3 million work hours and 650 days without a lost-time injury for the second time in the history of the Hanford Tank Farms.
“Safety-first expectations are communicated with all personnel in safety leadership discussions, daily operation calls, pre-job briefings, and safety start briefings,” said Frank Sullivan, WRPS safety manager. “Safety issues or concerns are documented and addressed using a formal issues management system.”
Safety is part of the tank operations workforce culture, which includes the implementation of DOE’s Integrated Safety Management System. By systematically integrating safety into management and work practices at all levels, mission projects are accomplished efficiently while protecting the workers, the public, and the environment. A lost workday is when an injury or illness involves one or more days away from work for an employee following a work-related incident.
Throughout the year, WRPS adjusted COVID-19 controls to align with federal guidelines to ensure the safety of the workforce and public, which required strong leadership and employee engagement to maintain a safety focus.
“This safety performance is a testament to our workforce’s commitment to watch out for each other, to be rigorous and thoughtful in everything they do, to maintain acute situational awareness, and to genuinely care about their co-workers,” said John Eschenberg, WRPS president and CEO. “Safety first and a questioning attitude are a part of the successful culture at the Hanford Tank Farms.”
What makes this safety milestone even more impressive, Eschenberg said, is that WRPS completed some very challenging projects this year, including the construction and testing of a system that is set to begin treating tank waste next year to remove radioactive cesium and solids to prepare it for vitrification. Workers also replaced a large, contaminated cover on an 8-million-gallon liquid waste storage basin during one of the hottest summers on record. Both projects support preparations under the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste Program, which is scheduled to start treating Hanford’s low-activity tank waste in the next two years.
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