The Department of Energy and its prime contractor for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico are investigating a Nov. 20 accident in which a basket of tools and material fell roughly 2,200 feet to the bottom of the new underground utility shaft.
“All work on the Utility Shaft was immediately paused and the team quickly confirmed there were no injuries as a result of the incident,” George Rangel, a spokesperson for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) prime Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, which is a Bechtel affiliate. “Work on the Utility Shaft will resume once necessary corrective actions have been implemented.”
While hoisting a material handling basket from the WIPP underground to the surface of the Utility Shaft, the basket broke free and fell to an underground station platform, according to the contractor statement. The basket was not properly aligned to clear the opening at the top of the shaft, Rangel said.
The spokesperson said hoisting material up from the bottom of the shaft is a chore that has been done routinely during shaft excavation. Rangel also said no radioactive material was involved in the accident.
Subcontractor Harrison Western Shaft Sinkers is working with Salado and the DOE’s Carlsbad Field Office to investigate the accident and implement corrective actions. DOE officials announced in October the new shaft had been excavated to its final depth of more than 2,200 feet.
