DOE NEEDS TO DO MORE TO IMPROVE WORK CONTROL, DNFSB SAYS

The Department of Energy needs to take further steps to improve work control and planning at its various sites, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board said in a new report issued late last week. The Board said it found “similarities between the weaknesses in activity-level work planning and control documented in recent DOE accident investigation reports” and in letters sent to DOE’s Office of Environmental Management and the National Nuclear Security Administration. “Based on this analysis it is apparent that DOE’s previous improvement actions have not resulted in sustained improvement and consequently have not been effective. The Board believes that this is in large part due to a lack of formalized requirements and guidance within DOE’s directives system and the resulting lack of DOE and contractor oversight in this area,” the report says.

The DNFSB asked DOE to provide within 60 days a report and briefing “that details the actions taken and planned … to address the lack of comprehensive requirements and guidance” identified in the report. DOE has also been given 12 months to prepare a report for the Board that “details DOE’s assessment of the effectiveness of these actions.” The full DNFSB report can be found here: http://www.hss.energy.gov/deprep/2012/FB12G28A.PDF