The Integrated Safety Management System Verification Enhancement Review of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP)
The primary purpose of the verification enhancement review was for the DOE Richland Operations Office (RL) to verify contractor readiness for the independent DOE Integrated Safety Management System Verification (ISMSV) on the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). Secondary objectives included: (1) to reinforce the engagement of management and to gauge management commitment and accountability; (2) to evaluate the ''value added'' benefit of direct public involvement; (3) to evaluate the ''value added'' benefit of direct worker involvement; (4) to evaluate the ''value added'' benefit of the panel-to-panel review approach; and, (5) to evaluate the utility of the review's methodology/adaptability to periodic assessments of ISM status. The review was conducted on December 6-8, 1999, and involved the conduct of two-hour interviews with five separate panels of individuals with various management and operations responsibilities related to PFP. A semi-structured interview process was employed by a team of five ''reviewers'' who directed open-ended questions to the panels which focused on: (1) evidence of management commitment, accountability, and involvement; and, (2) consideration and demonstration of stakeholder (including worker) information and involvement opportunities. The purpose of a panel-to-panel dialogue approach was to better spotlight: (1) areas of mutual reinforcement and alignment that could serve as good examples of the management commitment and accountability aspects of ISMS implementation, and, (2) areas of potential discrepancy that could provide opportunities for improvement. In summary, the Review Team found major strengths to include: (1) the use of multi-disciplinary project work teams to plan and do work; (2) the availability and broad usage of multiple tools to help with planning and integrating work; (3) senior management presence and accessibility; (4) the institutionalization of worker involvement; (5) encouragement of self-reporting and self-assessment by management; (6) the availability of multiple internal communication mechanisms; and, (7) the existence of overall facility-wide safety management goals as well as individualized project work team goals. Major opportunities for improvement identified include: (1) the enhancement of external communications relative to ISM; (2) the institutionalization of ISM-related performance agreements/incentives; (3) the strengthening of feedback loops; (4) fine-tuning the use of tools; and, (5) the formalization of good practices.
- Research Organization:
- DOE-RL (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-96RL13200
- OSTI ID:
- 801304
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/RL-2000-13, Rev.0; TRN: US0300349
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 9 Feb 2000
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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