Safety Programs Shine at Hanford Vit Plant

Over the past year, the Hanford Vit Plant team has implemented innovative safety programs that have helped reduce injury rates to 75% below the industry average.

One standout among the new programs is the introduction of physiological monitoring by the Vit Plant's industrial hygiene team. The monitoring program tracks workers’ vital signs, including heart rate and body temperature, at regular intervals during high-risk tasks. These vital signs are used to detect early indicators of fatigue, stress or other risk factors that could lead to injury, helping ensure that workers can take preventive action before issues arise.

“It’s essential that every worker feels empowered to stop work if they feel safety is at risk,” said Mat Irwin, Hanford’s acting assistant manager for the Vit Plant. “The safety of our people comes first, and these programs help ensure workers can continue to get work done safely.”

Building off the monitoring program, a comprehensive safety leadership training is provided for managers, supervisors and foremen. This training emphasizes the importance of creating a “safety first” culture and encourages leaders to empower their teams to pause work if they feel conditions are unsafe. It also helps ensure all managers are equipped to support and enforce these safety protocols.

“We’ve seen firsthand how a strong safety culture directly translates to fewer injuries,” said Rick Holmes, Bechtel National Inc. principal vice president and general manager for Waste Treatment Completion Company, primary subcontractor to Bechtel at the Vit Plant. “These programs are vital to helping ensure everyone goes home safely at the end of the day.”

The success of these programs and the corresponding drop in injury rates led to the U.S. Department of Energy recently recognizing the Vit Plant with its Voluntary Protection Program Star of Excellence award. This is the second time the Vit Plant has received this award.

About the Vit Plant

In southeastern Washington state, Bechtel National, Inc. is designing, constructing, and commissioning the world’s largest radioactive waste treatment plant for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). When complete, the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, also known as the Vit Plant, will process and stabilize millions of gallons of radioactive and chemical waste currently stored at the Hanford Site.