AIKEN, S.C. - Two prime contractors at EM’s Savannah River Site (SRS) earned the Legacy of Stars award at the 34th annual National Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA) Symposium held recently in Nashville, Tennessee.
It was the third time both liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation (SRR) and management and operations contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) received the award. Both companies have been recognized as DOE Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) sites each year since their SRS contracts began, SRR in 2009 and SRNS in 2008.
Michael Budney, DOE-Savannah River manager, said SRR and SRNS employees should feel honored for consistently being recognized with VPP safety awards.
“It is important to advance the missions at the Savannah River Site," Budney said. “It is even more important to do so safely. Congratulations to both teams for earning the DOE VPP Legacy of Stars award."
The DOE VPP Legacy of Stars award distinguishes a company that has excelled in outreach and mentoring and has demonstrated sustained excellence in worker safety and health. The award is given to sites that have earned the VPP Star of Excellence for three consecutive years. SRR and SRNS have earned that award each year of their contracts for maintaining a total recordable case rate of injuries 75 percent lower than the industry average. Companies at SRS meet the criteria each year by demonstrating the five elements of VPP: management leadership, employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, and safety and health training.
The VPPPA is a nonprofit organization working for safety, health, and environmental excellence through cooperative efforts among labor, management, and government. Several DOE project sites across the nation are members of the organization.
-Contributors: Angie Benfield, Colleen Hart
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
