Nuclear Plant Cited for Safety

Jan. 10, 2000
Employees of Westinghouse Savannah River Co., failed to follow procedures designed to prevent dangerous chain reactions.

Federal regulators cited the largest contractor at the Savannah River Site nuclear complex in Aiken, S.C. for failing to follow safety procedures.

Employees of Westinghouse Savannah River Co,. failed five times to follow procedures designed to prevent "criticalities," or chain reactions, in late November and early December, according to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, which is responsible for nuclear weapons complex oversight.

The citation comes just two months after the U.S. Energy Department, which owns the complex, told Westinghouse to improve safety procedures there because of other incidents.

The latest problem occurred in a facility that recovers useful materials from radioactive and chemical wastes, and in a plant that stabilizes plutonium left over from other operations.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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