RICHLAND, Wash. - Hanford Site workers have critical equipment to keep them safe during cleanup, and one item provided by the site's fire department has been in high demand: the self-contained breathing apparatus.
The Hanford Fire Department supplies breathable air, allowing employees to work safely in contaminated and hazardous areas. The bottles, also used by fire responders, are filled with compressed air and dispensed daily by the department. Two firefighters can fill 18 bottles simultaneously - each approximately two feet long and roughly 20 pounds when full. That’s up to 750 bottles each day.
“The Hanford Fire Department team makes sure workers have a steady supply of air bottles on hand," said Corey Low, director of the Security, Emergency Services & Information Management Division with the EM Richland Operations Office.
This fiscal year, the department has already filled about 74,000 bottles and is on pace to reach more than 95,000 bottles, which would be the most ever produced by the department in a year. Last fiscal year, the department filled and supplied 78,000 bottles to support site activities.
“Keeping workers safe is our number one priority and having an ample supply of bottles on hand protects workers and ensures cleanup work can continue," Hanford Site Fire Chief Norb Kuhman said.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
