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"STRIVING FOR SAFETY EXCELLENCE IN CHEMICALAND GLOVEBOX ENVIRONMENTS" vugraphs

Crestina Vigi l

Annual Glovebox Conference7/21-22/04San Diego, CA

NATIONAL LABORATOR YLos Alamos National Laborato ry, an affirmative action/ equal opportunity employer, is operated by the University of California for the U .S .Department of Energy under contract W-7405-ENG-36 . By acceptance of this article, the publisher recognizes that the U .S . Governmentretains a nonexclusive , royalty-free license to publish or reproduce the published form of this contribution , or to allow others to do so, for U .S .Government purposes . Los Alamos National Laboratory requests that the publisher identify this article as work pe rformed under theauspices of the U .S . Department of Energy . Los Alamos National Laboratory strongly supports academic freedom and a researcher's right topublish ; as an institution , however, the Laboratory does not endorse the viewpoint of a publication or guarantee its technical correctness .

Form 836 (8/00)

2004 American Glovebox SocietyConference and Exp o

San Diego, CA

Striving for Safety Eucellence in Chemica I andIp"

Glovebox Environment sMaryrose L . Montalvo and Crestina A. Vigil

Nuclear Materials Technology Divisio nLos Alamos National Laboratory OF

NMT D ivisionGS-200

N

Los Alamos

The Nuclear Materials Technology Division provides thefoundation for maintaining the nuclear materials mission insupport of the nation's nuclear stockpile .

Allowing I imely observations Measures Increased Commitment to Safety I Y ► ai='~

Two Major FacilitiesAGS - 2004

Above : TA-55 Plutonium Facility

• 375,000 ft2 facility space• 2000 personnel w/ access• 800 on -site residents

Below : Chemistry Metallurgy Researc hFacility (CMR )

• 577,000 ft2 facility space• 900 personnel w/ access• 400 on -site residents

Los Alamos AI'T&~,Allowing Timely Observations Measures I ncreased Commitment to Safety I V k li y

NMT 's Diverse Workforce

GRA Students,Post-Doc s

2%

Contractors8%

Skilled Craft Suppo rt11% Technical

Staff Members29%

Technician sAdministrative Suppo rt

16%28%

NMT boasts of an impressive yet diverse workforce, consistingof approximately 1200 employees within both facilities : TA-55and the CMR Building . (Approximately 57% of NMT employeesare glovebox workers . )

Los Alamos

Safet y +A l' C% ii7,A llowing Timely Observations Measures Increased Commitment to S IYl Niel

A Behavior-Based Approac hAGS - 2004

What is Behavior Based Safety ?

IBehavior-basedsafety employsemployeeinvolvement toreinforce safebehaviors and toidentify/removebarriers to workingsafe . Workersperform observationson a peer-to-peerbasis and providefeedback .

Los Alamos

Left :A behavior is anyobservable act .Wearing safetyglasses while workingin a glovebox is abehavior . Sitting on astool is a behavior .

:1 ,Allowing Timely Observations Measures Increased Commitment to Safety

A I'IV , %.-V

The Essent i a l Elements

A successful behavior-based safety processis contingent on four essential elements :

1 . Identifying critical behaviors

2 . Collecting Data

3 . Providing Feedback

4 . Using the data to reduceand/or remove barriers

Los Alamos

A llowing Timely observations Measures Increased Commitment to safety IV A %W I

1 . Ide ntifying Criti cal BehaviorsAGS - 200 4

NMT's Critical Behaviors

U 'A -Z 6 1

WORK ENVIRONMENT

❑ ❑ ' a

SITE ❑RESIDENT? ❑ .

GROUP

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p' OOT,w '1 O

WORK TYP E

❑ y A ❑ s M R

COACH NUNIM P

O IARGETED OMERVATION?•

❑ ' ❑ '.

1 0 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE I J PMIN1 IPPEI Ai! A" • +

W~N I

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,u . .%4Ati h' ;

21 ERGONON•C6 `WI A :

S 1 RADIATION SAFETY A, j A '

A 1 MATERIALS AND TRANSPORT t •'srF A'

I I ELE VATED WORK SAFE

A( Al -

S 1 STORED ENERGY WL + • .

Ptata a.RIMN /aI a ATONTR ! N bent r M a+ to MT T.'Ai

Los Alamos

7.1 COMMUNICATION 4' [ A . fl"a

I stAIE H'l ut rl : . C; . ~MKU1 f r

;2 SIGN : a11U P.Aflt : 6

A ,S41 E11 TOOEI AND EOUI/MINT

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ILANPEUIE 'MEN' `A,'II N

111 PHYSICAL POSITION

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Allowing Timely observations Measures I ncreased Commitment to safety

Identifying Critical Behaviors

Sample questions from Critical Behaviors Checklis t

3 .1 Donning/Doffing/Us eExample : Does worker check glovebox gloves for cracks orabnormalities prior to starting work?

3.2 Radiological Monitoring /ContaminationExample : Were hands monitored slowly and thoroughly whenremoved from the glovebox or hood ?

4.2 Radioactive Material sExample : Are contaminated liquid or powder samplesbagged or placed in a secondary container before beingremoved from a glovebox ?

9.1 Housekeepin gExample : Are gloveboxes clear of excess equipment andtrash ?

Los Alamos/I wVTC% .A llowing

TI imely observations Measures l easures Increased Commitment to Safety I V ► %J i=`'

2 . Collecting DataGS -. 2004

Data is collected by performing peer-to-peer observation s

• No name, no blame process

• Observers use card to markbehaviors safe or at-ris k

• After behaviors are marked,observer gives workerimmediate, positive feedback

• Worker has opportunity to discuss any other safety concern sLos Alamos

'TjiAllowing Timely Observations Measures Increased commitment to safety I Vh arI

Collecting DataAGS -y 200 4

"I'm not wearing adust mask because we ra nout and the warehouse ha s

Finding out why a behavior was performed at risk is critica l

not purchased more ."

If a behavior is perceived tohave been performed at-risk, theobserver asks the worker why itwas performed that way . Theobserver and the worker thendiscuss possible solutions forremoving any barriers that arecausing the worker to performbehaviors at-risk . All commentsare recorded on the data card .

Los Alamosp

A I

Allowing Timely Observations Measures Increased commitment to safety I Y► 'r

3 . Providing Feedbac kAGS - 2004

Action planning occurs after data from cards are compile d

• Observation dataare entered on amonthly basi s

10 .2 Line of Fir e

1000%

900%

800%

700%

600%

50.0%

ra

~QQ\ ~roo\ ~~A\ ~a0\ ,`~ro\ X60\ \0y\ IA\ ^~P\

0 0 0 00 0

t % Safe • % Marked

• Steering Team • Data aremembers meet presented a tto analyze trends group meetingsand action plan and trends areon comments sent to observers

Los Alamos

MeasuresA VT

AC'

llowing Timely Observations Measures Increased commitment to Safety I Y ► %W=A

Providing FeedbackAGS - 2004 }

Actual Comments from Comment Repor t

While employee was working in a glovebox , employee did notcheck their hands coming out of the box . At risk forcontamination . Employee said, "Good observation . I caughtmyself doing it and will slow down and make sure I always do it . "

While employee was in glovebox, employee was at risk for staticposition (no mat on floor ) . Employee said they did not realize andwas at a new workstation . Employee got a mat .

While employee was performing glovebox work , employee hadlong hair pulled back , out of employee ' s face and so it wouldn'tbe touching the glovebox . This is a good idea, and I routinely seepeople performing glovebox work who do not pull long hair back .

Los Alamos

Allowing Timely observations measures I ncreased Commitment to Safety I Y► %N

4 . Use Data to Remove Barriers

; ;;, Behaviors that are declining in percent safe become target s

1 .3 Han d

100 .0%

90 .0%

80 .0%

70 .0%

60 .0%

50 .0%

~00~ ~e`L~ ~r~1 ~o~ ~~p\ ~,~p\ ,p0~ ^,~~ < ~ < \ \bro\ \ay\ \0h\ ~po\ '~^P\ s' ^~\o~, 0~~00~~~o~PQp o~,J o~~p PJ ~~0o~oao ~oo~o~o~~oA~OOA~a~`~ ~a~~

Safe -- % Marked

The percent safe for Hand PPE declinedduring the 1St qua rter of 2004. Aftermaking it a targeted behavior for the 2ndqua rter , the percent safe stabilized andlater started to increase .

Los Alamos

Ad

Allowing Timely Observations Measures Increased commitment to safety

Every quarter, behavioral trendsare analyzed . If the percent safeof any behavior is trendin gdownward, it becomes a targetbehavior for the next quarter .Observers are asked to performtargeted observations as well astraditional observations .

A I'C h ./Ya'l

Use Data to Remove Barriers~AGS - 2004

Example of barrier remova l

• During observation, worker was at riskfor spread of contamination . Workerwas reaching under face shield toadjust goggles .

• Worker said she had to use gogglesand face shield per procedure . Thiswas quite cumbersome because shealso wears prescription glasses .

• Through the observation comments, thesteering team was able to action planand have the hood sash lowered in theemployee's lab .

Los Alamos

Measures

A ,

AllowingTI imely observations Measures Increased Commitment to Safety I Y ► ai='r

Observations Predict Injuries

At-Risk Behaviors ObservedAll Dates

Tools & Equipment Housekeeping Physical Pos it ion

5% 10% 6%

Bruise

8%

Injuries by Type

Above :

J

Personal ProtectiveEquipmen t

1 18 %

Sixty percent of all at-riskbehaviors consist of ergonomics

and personal protective equipmen t

Los Alamos

Below :Fifty-seven percent of injuries arerelated to ergonomics (strains &repetitive motion) and personalprotective equipment (cuts )

Abrasion9%

Repetitive Motion11 %

Safety+ A I IT C~ .3,

Allowing Timely imely Observations Measures Increased Commitment to S IY& % i=;r

Mirror EffectAGS -y 2004

As observations decrease, accidents and injuries increas e12 Month TRC & DART vs

12 Month Observation s

6

0

o's o's o's p p oP o's p o5 o's 4- 0 '). 0 o°'

-TRC (Rolling Rate ) -DART (Rolling Rate) - Obse rv ations ( Moving Avg .)

550

450

CC

350 •ao2

1250 0

150

5 0

We can reverse this trend by reaching a contact ratio of on e

Los Alamos

Allowing Timely Observations Measures I ncreased Commitment to safetyAI /'[% ;V ► ai*-r

Contact RatioGS--2004

• Contact ratio is calculated by dividing thenumber of people observed per month bythe number of employees in the organization .

• If every employee performed one observationa month , every individual in the divisionwould :

•

receive positive feedback on their safebehaviors every mont hbe given the opportunity to change at-risk behaviors through barrier removalevery monthhave a chance to report safetyconcerns every month

SPR Overall Number Of Obse rv ation s

500 _. ._.. .. . 5 .0 4N

0

400 4.0 0

300 3.0 e y

zoo r+l`r Y ~ I II'111 " 1 ,4 2 . 0

IO 1 0.0M

00UM 0M111M0W0009M98808 ; ;; ;

4's 110 0 " 40 non no~ ~O~Q~O~ ~0,

00-1 '~0~4~0 n o

Injury Reduction due to Different SafetyProgram Inte rvention s

40 .0%

20 .0%

0.0% 11 1

Los Alamos

Allowing Timely Observations Measures Increased Commitment to Safety IY ► a► '~

Challenges

5% of employees are carrying theload of data collection for the restof the division

The largest challenge theATOMICS process has faced isdata collection . As noted earlier,NMT Division consists of 1200employees . For the process tobe successful, every employeeshould perform one observationa month . Out of 750 trainedobservers, only an average of 60observers perform monthlyobservations . Only 5% of theemployees in the division areactive observers .

Lc~Alamos A 1'Allowing Timely Observations Measures Increased Commitment to Safety IV k

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