Image

America’s Safest Companies 2016: South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company

Nov. 3, 2016
The 10 companies on the 2016 list of America's Safest Companies represent a broad array of industries. These companies operate in the construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, food, agriculture and utility industry sectors.

Four core principles are used to advocate the importance of nuclear, personal and environmental safety at South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company: Take-a-Minute, Verification, Procedure Behaviors and Questioning Attitude. All of these components contain key elements of the company's safety program.

“Our goal of creating value for our owners, employees and communities by generating safe, reliable and affordable electricity for the long term cannot happen if safety is not our top priority," said Christopher Waldrum, safety specialist.

[Download the complete set of articles about America's Safest Companies 2016]

Employees are trained to assess the risk of an activity before proceeding, identify and resolve issues in a timely manner and assume responsibility for his/her own safety and others while fostering an environment while questioning is valued.

A corrective action program (CAP) is available to all employees as an effort to identify unsafe acts or conditions on the job, document them and mitigate or correct the action or condition. Once something is reported, the worker is notified about the steps taken to correct the issue.

Key performance indicators are identified with the CAP process, and trends in behaviors or conditions are noted and evaluated.

“Everyone will go home safely," Waldrum said. “We do this by exhibiting the following traits: safety, integrity, teamwork and excellence."

South Texas Project's safety action team meets monthly to discuss safety issue in the plant. All crafts/areas are represented in the team as well as a management representative. A free flow of information allows representatives to go back to their respective areas and keep communications open throughout the company.

Employees also are able to recognize one another or their supervisors if a safe work practice is exhibited.

Above all, time management and the commitment to safety comes from the top down. South Texas Project's president and CEO's saying shows management's dedication; “Do it safety the first time, whether it takes two minutes, two hours or two days."

South Texas Project Nuclear Operating CompanyWadsworth, Texas
1,100+ employees
1 site/3 EHS Professionals
About the Author

Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.

Sponsored Recommendations

Committing to Safety: Why Leadership’s Role in Safety Excellence is Key

Jan. 13, 2025
Leadership has the power to transform an organization through their behavior and vision, which can result in the creation of an organizational culturethat supports safety excellence...

Speak Up! Cementing "See Something, Say Something" to Drive Safety

Jan. 13, 2025
Many organizations promote "see something, say something" to encourage their people to intervene and make work safe. But most don't go far enough to equip teams with the skills...

The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease

Jan. 13, 2025
DEKRA announces its latest white paper, “The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease,” as a definitive look into why being vulnerable to incidents strengthens our commitment...

Mitigating Risks: Strategies for Safeguarding Workers in Hazardous Workplaces

Jan. 13, 2025
Join our expert team in taking on the challenge to make safety part of your organization’s DNA as work, the workforce, and workplaces evolve.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!