Los Alamos National Security, the contractor managing the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, should improve its work planning and control processes, the Department of Energy’s Office of Enterprise Assessments said in a newly released enforcement letter to lab director Charles McMillan.
The April 19 letter to the contractor said the Enterprise Assessments office (EA) evaluated three cases demonstrating work planning and control deficiencies, identifying issues that warrant further management attention by Los Alamos National Security (LANS).
In one case, a subcontractor was working with inadequate hazard controls while replacing an uninterruptible power supply system. In another, the rigging straps of a railroad boxcar broke, dropping a load and resulting in a near miss to an employee. The third event involved an asphalt roller that tipped over during repaving work.
“These three events suggest the need for continued attention to work planning and control, particularly with regard to effective hazard identification during job planning, document review by appropriate subject matter experts, and completion of required safety and health training,” the EA said in the letter.
The EA said its letter does not impose requirements on the contractor and is meant to “convey concerns with the LANS’ process to ensure adequate hazard identification, assessment, prevention, and abatement.”
Over one year ago the EA concluded in a review that LANS’ work planning and control processes were adequate in identifying and controlling hazards in research and development, maintenance, operations, and other activities – but that despite making significant progress in this area, the contractor still had some problems implementing hazard controls.
