We must work safely

We must work safely Last Thursday at lunch, I received a call that all managers (or parents) fear. I was informed that one of our employees received a serious electrical shock and was on his way to the emergency room. When I got to the hospital, I watched as one of our students was struggling with all his might to regain consciousness. It was a frightening and sobering sight. It was one that we could have done more to avoid and must avoid in the future.

Today, the student is doing quite well and prognosis for full recovery is very good. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the Laboratory and, therefore, we will have to take some dramatic steps now. This is the fourth serious accident in the past 19 months. The Department of Energy has in progress a Type A (the most serious) accident investigation, so we do not yet have in hand all the facts and root causes for this accident. However, the previous three accidents plus several "near misses" have identified serious shortcomings in both our safety-management systems and in individual safety awareness.

In 1995, we began a major overhaul of our safety-management systems. These systems include (a) standards, (b) authorization basis, (c) facility management, (d) safe work practices and (e) awareness and accountability. We concentrated initially on our highest hazard facilities, such as the TA-55 plutonium facility. We have made much progress there. Unfortunately, we have not made the required safety changes in other areas. All four recent serious accidents can be classified as industrial safety accidents with a common root cause of inadequate work control. We now have a comprehensive plan in place to authorize work and enhance safe operations across the entire Laboratory.

Unfortunately, we experienced another serious accident indicating that we still are plagued with safety-system defects or individual inattentiveness. Two weeks after the Jan. 17 accident, I presented a "Safety First" colloquium. I asked all of you to join me in placing safety first in everything we do. Today, I am stating this same message in an even more intense way. The responsibility for safe operations ultimately depends on all individuals - each and every one of us. I asked for your help then; now I am insisting on it.

Let me stress that no operation shall be performed unless it can be done safely. I don't care about time pressures. I don't care what other excuses we may have. We must do operations safely - that must come first. What's at stake is our lives. But our institution is also at stake. To do great science, to accomplish our mission, we must work safely.

I am sure that you will all agree that none of us wants to visit another colleague in the hospital, or worse, in the mortuary. So, I am directing each and every one of you to redouble your attention to safety. My concern for your safety weighs so heavily on me that on Tuesday, I temporarily suspended all work at the Laboratory so that all of us could rethink our work processes and how to conduct our work safely. I also put a stop to any unauthorized work (work without an approved work plan). From here on, only authorized work will be permitted at this laboratory.

Working with your supervisors, we have asked each of you to follow the five-step approach to safe working conditions: (1) define the scope of the work, (2) analyze the hazards, (3) develop and implement controls to mitigate the hazards, (4) perform the work safely after you have confirmed your readiness to do so and (5) identify improvements to further enhance the safety of the operation. This is a common-sense process that each of us must follow.

I also have asked each of you to pledge your individual commitment to safety. I have asked supervisors to help you in carrying out this five-step process in your workplace. Once this approach is confirmed, we will resume operations.

I ask for your support and dedication to a safe workplace. Let's do everything we can to avoid another accident.

Thank you!