Staff Reports
WC Monitor
11/20/2015
The improper storage of plutonium by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) employees resulted from a willful procedure violation by the SRNS work team, according to the Department of Energy. SRNS discovered on Sept. 3 that a group of three operators and a first-line manager stored a sample size of plutonium in a container that was not suitable for transport. The sample was scheduled to be transported to the Savannah River National Lab. Proper disciplinary actions were taken as a result of the incident in the Savannah River Site’s HB Line, according to SRNS. The breakdown in procedures, along with several other safety incidents in preceding months, pushed SRNS to self-induce a safety pause for all nonessential nuclear and non-nuclear operations. At no time were employees at risk, SRNS reported.
Savannah River Site Deputy Manager Terry Spears provided an update on the safety pause and a look into the root cause of the plutonium storage incident during an SRS Citizens Advisory Board earlier this week. Spears said several other deficiencies were found during a deeper look into the incident, which he said resulted from a significant departure from the conduct of operations. In addition, he called the first-line manager’s performance "less than adequate" and noted inadequate management engagement. SRNS has addressed the job performance of individuals involved using its Constructive Discipline Program, but did not specify if employees were terminated.
Spears reported the progress being made to return to normal operations, including the completion of a SRNS sustainment plan. The plan includes a half-day pause by each company branch monthly for six months to ensure safety practices are being carried out. According to Spears, the sustainment plan also includes an externally led assessment of nuclear operations focusing on nuclear safety culture; quantifiable improvements in the training and qualifications program; and improvement to the contractor assurance system under the supervision of the SRNS Senior Management Review Board.
The safety pause was initiated on Sept. 11. Since then, several nonessential operations and facilities have entered deliberate operations, in which workers pay extra attention to detail and planning. Those operations include work at the Savannah River National Laboratory; the L Area facility, which stores spent fuel; and the K Area facility that stores other nuclear materials. H Canyon, the nation’s only hardened chemical separations plant, has also entered deliberate operations. The only facility yet to enter deliberate operations is HB Line, the location of the plutonium storage incident. SRNS is pushing to get the facility, which assists H Canyon in nuclear materials processing, into the operations mode by the end of the month. "No facilities or organizations have completed actions required to exit deliberate operations and DOE-SR will review sustainability plans and assessment completed to supports the decision for exiting deliberate operations," Spears said. SRNS reported that there is no projection for when it will resume standard operations for all of its work.
