Department of Energy's Safety and Health Program at Uranium Enrichment Plants

The Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for establishing and enforcing occupational safety and health standards for DOE-owned, contractor-operated facilities, including the Nation's three uranium enrichment plants. Oversight of the enrichment plants is the responsibility of the DOE Oak Ridge Operations Office. While the injury record at these plants is better than that of the chemical industry and the employees are receiving less than maximum allowable doses of radiation, the plants have experienced a number of potentially serious accidents and numerous releases of radioactive materials. The program to ensure the safety and health of workers at existing plants involves plant inspections, appraisals of the contractors' in-house safety and health programs, and investigations of employee complaints. The Operations Office has fallen short of program requirements in each of these areas. It is required to inspect the working conditions at each of the three enrichment plants annually, but has only conducted a total of five inspections in the past 4 years. Appraisals have not been conducted as often as necessary. In the area concerned with the investigation of employee complaints, employees have not been offered an objective, independent review, and complaints have been recycled to the contractor for resolution. DOE has no system of penalties or fines for safety and health violations. Currently, the only leverage the Operations Office has to bring about contractor compliance with safety and health standards is the threat of nonrenewal or contract termination, which does not provide the contractor with an immediate incentive to correct safety or health violations. Moreover, DOE concern with other factors such as production may override any proposal to terminate a contract for these violations. Action should be taken to ensure that plant inspections and appraisals are performed as required and that all employee complaints are investigated and followed up by the Operations Office. Increased independence and objectivity in the Operations Office's safety and health program should be provided. The program would be strengthened if DOE had the authority to impose nonreimbursable fines and penalties for safety and health violations.