EM Update, September 17, 2024 —
AURORA, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and an association that helps worksites advance safety and health goals recently presented 21 awards to contractors across the cleanup complex — from Washington and New Mexico to New York and South Carolina — for achievements in safety, health, innovation and outreach.
Alfred G. Traylor, director of the DOE Office of Worker Safety and Health Assistance, presented the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) awards to DOE Office of Environmental Management contractors at the DOE-VPP Preconference Meeting, held at the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association annual Safety+ Symposium, which marked its 40th anniversary this year.
Working through cooperative efforts among labor, management and government at DOE contractor sites, VPP promotes improved safety and health performance through public recognition of outstanding programs. The program recognized the contractors for going above and beyond the basic requirements of its safety and health regulations, orders and standards.
Contractors are eligible to be VPP participants if they meet specific safety related criteria, such as injury rates meeting the DOE standard of 50% below industry average and performing mentoring and outreach activities. Participants also exemplify the five VPP elements: management leadership, employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, and safety and health training.
VPP’s Contractor Champions Award, which honors outstanding performance and leadership in furthering the advancement of VPP, went to Richard “Tom” Perkes with UCOR at Oak Ridge.
“As a former European professional basketball player, Tom is the epitome of a team player and VPP ambassador,” said Michelle Keever, UCOR Safety and Health Program specialist. “His talents and passion are evident in the workplace and the community.”
VPP’s Superior Star was awarded to Hanford Laboratory Management and Integration at the Hanford Site. The Superior Star recognizes a leader in safety and health performance that has achieved a consistently superior level of performance in meeting established safety and health goals, actively conducting outreach to others, and achieving an injury and illness rate significantly below the average of similar businesses and operations.
Through their full dedication and total commitment to the principles of VPP, recipients of the Star of Excellence have achieved an outstanding level of performance in meeting established safety and health goals, actively conducting outreach to others, and achieving an injury and illness rate significantly below the average of similar businesses and operations. This award went to:
• Central Plateau Cleanup Company, Hanford Site;
• Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, Mission Support Services, Hanford Site;
• Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, Safeguards and Security, Hanford Site;
• Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response Federal Training Center, Hanford Site;
• Washington River Protection Solutions, Tank Operations, Hanford Site;
• Waste Treatment Completion Company, Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant Project, Hanford Site;
• UCOR, Oak Ridge;
• North Wind Dynamics, Portsmouth Site;
• Battelle Savannah River Alliance, Savannah River National Laboratory;
• Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Savannah River Site;
• Savannah River Mission Completion, Savannah River Site;
• Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant; and
• CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley, West Valley Demonstration Project.
The Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association honored EM contractors with six awards.
The association’s Emerging Safety Leader Excellence Award, which recognizes outstanding individuals with less than 10 years of experience in the environment, health and safety field, went to:
• Ginger Benecke with Hanford Mission Integration Solutions;
• Daryl Butler Jr. with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions; and
• Jade Nealious with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions.
Central Plateau Cleanup Company’s safety team received the Safety and Health Outreach Award, which honors individuals, companies or worksites that excel in extending their safety, health, technical and management knowledge to other departments within their site.
The association honored Washington River Protection Solutions and UCOR with the VPP Innovation Award, which recognizes an individual, company or worksite that has developed and successfully implemented an innovation, encouraged others to try new approaches and emphasized the value of creativity and flexibility in the resolution of worker safety and health problems.
