Work Ramps Up at SONGS as Safety Review Continues

Dismantlement work at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is slowly ramping up after a pause to evaluate how a worker was injured on April 11, and to prevent a similar event from occurring again. (See previous Decomm Digest post here).

Though some work was allowed to continue on site, Southern California Edison and its decommissioning contractor, SONGS DecommissioningSolutions, a joint venture between AECOM and EnergySolutions, used the time to develop new procedures and guidelines for how work should be conducted, and to review changes to how work is performed.

As part of that effort, the team designed an enhanced training program on specific skill development and the use of job aids to ensure roles and responsibilities are clear for field activities, and there is appropriate supervision and oversight so that workers can focus on the task at hand.

“This relationship between ensuring all workers feel knowledgeable of their work, having the right skills and tools, and the right amount of oversight, is crucial to safety and to our success,” said Doug Bauder, SCE vice president and chief nuclear officer.

A deeper evaluation of overall site safety is continuing. Some of the interim actions put in place to allow work to proceed will become permanent, such as supervisory oversight commitments.

“Worker safety is our top priority. Everything we do is with the goal of having everyone go home safely every day,” Bauder said.

(Posted May 13, 2022)