Bechtel Waste Treatment Plant wins DOE worker safety award

Bechtel Corporation’s Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) project recently earned the Department of Energy’s Voluntary Protection Program Star of Excellence, the department’s highest worker safety achievement.
 
“Once again, our employees have exceeded expectations and have taken ownership of their safety and that of their coworkers,” Bechtel WTP Project Director Peggy McCullough said. “The exceptional commitment to each other's well-being is paramount in achieving the level of safety necessary at a construction site of this size.”
 
The project, located on the Hanford Site in Washington state, will allow for safe treatment of Cold War-era radioactive waste that is currently stored in underground tanks. The construction involves nearly 3,000 employees at the site.

To earn the Star of Excellence, Bechtel’s project had to maintain an injury rate 75 percent or more below the national average for its industry, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 
“Safety isn't just a requirement; it's one of Bechtel's core values,” Bechtel Government Services Head of Environment, Safety and Health Laureen Smith said. “This award represents the engagement between our employees and managers to improve and maintain an effective safety culture.”
 
Bechtel hopes to complete work on the site and begin operations as soon as 2022.