FEW SAFETY CULTURE ISSUES FOUND AT OTHER CLEANUP SITES, EM OFFICIAL SAYS

Concerns over whether workers feel comfortable to raise safety concerns appear to be centered primarily on the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant and are less evident at other Department of Energy cleanup sites, a senior official in DOE’s Office of Environmental Management said yesterday. To date, EM has not seen safety culture issues at other cleanup sites “to the magnitude” identified by the DOE Office of Health, Safety and Security at the WTP, EM Deputy Assistant Secretary for Safety, Security and Quality Programs Matt Moury said yesterday at a House Cleanup Caucus briefing on safety across the DOE cleanup program. “We always see bits here and there,” Moury said, adding, though, “We’re hoping that this is a little bit isolated.” He also said, “Safety culture is one of those things you have to consistently work at. … You have to consistently reinforce it or it will spring back and snap the spring.”