AIKEN, S.C. - The Savannah River National Laboratory’s more than 1,000 employees - administrators, engineers, operators and scientists - completed 2016 injury-free. SRNL is one of only two National Laboratories to achieve an annual Total Recordable Case (TRC) rate of zero.
During 2016, SRNL employees worked more than 1.5 million hours with no injuries that resulted in medical treatment or days away from work.
Laboratory Director Dr. Terry Michalske notes that this achievement speaks volumes about the safety culture and the caring attitude employees possess that has driven this achievement.
“We work together as a community" he said. “Sharing a common interest and goal to provide products for our customers in the safest manner possible, we look out for one another, ensuring everyone completes their work free of harm."
Johnnie Burkett, SRNL facility operations specialist and co-chairman of the Local Safety Improvement Team (LSIT), said the challenging and advanced work done at SRNL means extra precautions are necessary.
"Here at SRNL, our motto is ‘We Put Science to Work,’" Burkett said. “We have to approach each task with fresh eyes, being mindful and alert to our surroundings, always keeping in mind that improvement is a continuous effort."
As the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Environmental Management Laboratory, SRNL specializes in environmental remediation and risk reduction, nuclear materials processing and disposition and many other program areas that require critical work to fulfill our nation’s missions.
For example, SRNL provides support to the vitrification mission at the Savannah River Site’s Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). DWPF converts liquid radioactive waste into a solid glass form suitable for long-term storage and disposal. SRNL provides expertise to DWPF in simulation, modeling and testing of glass waste forms and vitrification process development.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
