Staff Reports
WC Monitor
7/10/2015
Improvements have been made in the safety culture at the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant project, according to a follow up assessment conducted by the Department of Energy’s independent Office of Enterprise Assessments. Staff and management on the project said “things are better and going in a good direction,” although there remains much room for improvement, the assessment found. This is the third assessment since the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board found in 2011 that DOE and Bechtel National management behavior reinforced a culture deterring the timely reporting, acknowledgment and resolution of technical concerns related to the future safe operation of the plant. The latest assessment found improved results for both the Hanford DOE Office of River Protection and Bechtel National, a turnaround after a decline in some measurements of safety culture between 2011 and 2014. “While we recognize the overall positive results, we also acknowledge there remain areas for continued improvement,” the Office of River Protection said in a statement. “ORP takes these results seriously and remains committed to the continuous improvement necessary to successfully complete our mission.”
In contrast to the 2014 results, the assessment released late last week showed improvements in how Office of River Protection workers perceive the behaviors important for a healthy safety culture. “Interviewees commented that current safety issues are being addressed, and no one expressed concern about significant safety issues being suppressed,” the assessment report said. The response to the question “I can openly challenge management decisions” was significantly more positive than in 2014. “Many interviewees indicated that they had no apprehensions about reporting safety concerns,” the report said.
Workers also said managers were more approachable and more open to receiving helpful criticism than in the past. Managers and staff said the relatively new Organizational and Safety Culture Improvement Council was a positive staff toward collaboration between management and staff. They also liked the “One System” concept to integrate work at the tank farms and the vitrification plant. The system to manage issues is working better, and a strategic plan being prepared should bring more stable working conditions, employees told interviewers. “Employees generally expressed optimism about the ‘no bashing – no surprises’ philosophy of communication,” the report said.
Last year a perceived shift toward a more collaborative relationship between DOE and Bechtel, which is designing and building the plant, created confusion. DOE Hanford employees were concerned they were losing independence in their oversight of work, the report said. But this year staff had significantly less concern about that. They were proud that the oversight findings of the local DOE office led to more robust self-assessment by Bechtel and movement toward an improved management system that is aligned with nuclear practices and principles.
Concerns Still Remain, Report Says
Yet a number of concerns remain, the assessment said. Staff are less satisfied with problem resolution, with more negative responses to the statement “concerns raised are addressed” than in previous years. Expanding the Office of River Protection staff has added to concerns about the adequacy of work quality and control, the assessment said. The assessment found tension between those at the Office of River Protection at Hanford and DOE officials at the Office of Environmental Management in Washington, D.C. “Many interviewees expressed — sometimes in explicit terms — that they often perceive that some EM Headquarters managers and senior staff do not respect ORP management and staff,” the report said. Staff often mentioned that headquarters officials issued directions and required reports solely for political purposes, according to the assessment report.
The parallel assessment of the safety culture at Bechtel National found comments from those at all levels of the organization were more positive than in 2011 or 2014. “The assessment demonstrates through objective data and focus group interviews that positive behaviors throughout the organization and continuing programmatic improvement are having their intended affect,” Bechtel said in a statement.
Those interviewed for the assessment frequently mentioned “forthright conversations” training for managers and the Nuclear Safety and Quality Culture Leadership Forum. The survey statements “Helpful criticism is encouraged” and “I can openly challenge management decisions” received significantly higher marks than in the past two surveys. Construction workers, technical staff and management all said that reporting safety concerns is expected. So many new initiatives were launched after 2011 that workers had confusion about priorities in 2014. But less confusion was found by the most recent assessment. Organizational realignment, particularly in engineering and nuclear safety, had helped. Many of those interviewed said they were optimistic about management improvement and nuclear safety and quality culture sustainment plans. “Interviewees at all levels of the organization often referred to the high visibility of new senior leaders, their constructive leadership styles and their continuing reinforcement of priorities,” the report said.
While trends are positive, there were concerns about worker turnover, particularly field engineers. Construction workers were concerned that DOE and Bechtel “can’t make up their minds,” leading to rework and waste. Some workers said they avoided reporting minor injuries or illnesses because they would be presumed to be at fault. Workers were concerned about unfair perceptions about the project, which has been criticized for delays, unresolved technical issues and rising costs. “Employees who try to maintain their professional integrity and personal pride in the face of continuing adversity are belittled by people and organizations that have little knowledge of the project and focus more on finding fault than contributing to solutions,” the report said.
Workers said they often hear important project information first from local media and Weapons Complex Monitor because all written communication from senior management to employees is required to be approved by DOE staff in Washington, D.C. Both DOE and Bechtel will have to continue to focus on improvements to sustain the gains made in safety culture, the report said. “These improvements are in the early stages, and progress could easily stall if attention lapses, resources are diverted, or management priorities shift,” the report said.
