Snow, ice and bitter cold conditions did not deter crews performing important infrastructure upgrades on the Hanford Site this winter.
Office of Environmental Management
February 15, 2022
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RICHLAND, Wash. – Snow, ice and bitter cold conditions did not deter crews performing important infrastructure upgrades on the Hanford Site this winter.
EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) attached emergency alerting system equipment to the Hanford meteorological tower, a 405-foot structure rising high above the site. Another HMIS crew performed similar work on nearby Rattlesnake Mountain, installing cables and a radio antenna on a communications tower to support information technology upgrades at both locations.
“Replacing legacy systems on the Hanford Site allows for uninterrupted cleanup progress while keeping personnel safe and informed in the event of a potential emergency,” said Tim Haddick, RL Security, Emergency Services and Information Management Division director.
Updated emergency alerting equipment added to both locations provides primary and backup coverage and includes sirens, phones, computers and radios activated for emergency notification and communication systems used by Hanford Fire and the Hanford Patrol. The infrastructure will also support a new wireless essential-services local area network supporting 911 systems and emergency radios for contractors across the site.
Prior to installing the new emergency alerting gear, engineers performed a structural analysis on the meteorological tower, determining the tower’s load capacity had approached its upper limit. This required removal of outdated communications equipment installed at varying heights on the tower. Using portable saws, a separate team safely removed unneeded items installed as high as 350 feet.
“Safety measures ensure our workers can perform a wide variety of tasks year-round across the Hanford Site, or even above it,” said Chris Brown, HMIS field work supervisor. “With each work package, we complete a project walkdown and analyze any potential hazards to confirm they’re covered in the job project safety plan. It’s important to get the work done, but doing it safely is even more vital.”
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