DNFSB RAISES WORK PLANNING CONCERNS AT Y-12

By ExchangeMonitor

Investments at the Y-12 National Security Complex to improve conduct of operations at the plant could be jeopardized by another lingering safety issue at the plant, according to a recent letter from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board to the National Nuclear Security Administration. In a Dec. 29 letter made public this week, DNFSB Chairman Peter Winokur criticized contractor B&W Y-12 and the Y-12 Site Office for “weaknesses in work planning and control” that he suggested could undermine operational improvements at the plant. Winokur said the weaknesses included work packages that were too broad, instructions and procedures that were unclear, and hazard analyses that were vague. The work planning and control documents provide the framework for operations at the plant, which have also emerged as a source of concern for the DNFSB over the last year. Winokur noted that improvements were being made in the area of conduct of operations at the plant, but he said the work planning and control weaknesses “if unaddressed, will adversely impact” those plans.

Winokur said the Board requested a report and briefing detailing actions by the NNSA to address the weaknesses within 120 days. “These weaknesses affect the quality and content of the procedures and work packages used to direct activity-level work and ultimately affect the conduct of work in the field,” the Board said in a staff issue report accompanying the letter. “During the review, the staff noted cases in which work was not executed according to procedure. These weaknesses indicated that B&W’s and YSO’s oversight of work planning and control is less than effective.”

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