EFCOG Best Practice #20
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Title: A Senior Review Committee for Complex/High Risk Work Packages
Facility: Hanford Site, Richland, Washington
Point of contact:
Brief description of the Best Practice
This practice establishes a senior, experienced, multidisciplinary as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) Joint Review Group. The group ensures that work plans categorized as high risk are comprehensive and thoroughly reviewed, including contingency
plans for emergent situations.
The Joint Review Group, as a minimum, includes the following disciplines as appointed by the Executive Vice President and General Manager:
- Chairperson
- Safety and Health
- Radiological Control
- Engineering
- Bargaining Unit Safety Representative
The Chairperson conducts the meeting and the JRG reviews at a minimum:
- Work package ownership and steps can be performed safely and effectively by personnel who have the requisite training and experience
- Justification exists to perform work in the context of overall system and equipment performance
- ALARA Management Worksheet (if applicable)
- Radiological Work Permit
- Hazards listed in the JHA or job safety analysis are identified and mitigated
- The results of enhanced work planning teams are adequately addressed and captured
- Comprehensive work plans are thoroughly reviewed and include contingencies for hazards identified in the JHA
- Adequate management oversight and supervision, including fieldwork supervisor(s) or superintendent (s) who are knowledgeable of hazards and emergency response
- Work plans involving dose trigger levels are reviewed and approved, including the means of appropriately tracking collective dose for jobs where greater than 200 person-mille-rem is estimated
- Radiological control requirements (hold points, dose tracking, etc.) are identified and incorporated, as necessary.
- The Field Work Supervisor presents the work package to the JRG who either rejects, approves with corrections, or approves as written.
- Any changes to the JRG approved work package has to be approved at a minimum by the Chairperson that conducted the JRG.
Why the best practice was used:
The JRG was established to review complex/high risk work packages and associated documents to ensure that risks are as low as reasonably achievable and measures taken to mitigate the risks are acceptable.
What are the benefits of the best practice
Ensure that a senior, experienced review team concurs with the activity and how the activity will be performed. This review should result in fewer problems encountered with complex/high risk activities and a greater margin of safety for the workers.
What problems/issues were associated with the Best Practice
The JRG has to maintain their independent oversight role. It is easy to slip into the mode of planning the work rather than performing an independent review.
How the success of the Best Practice was measured
It is hard to quantify due to the fact that success is met by performing complex/high risk activities with a minimum of problems, injuries, or having unanticipated issues arise.
Description of process experience using the Best Practice
Our complex/high risk jobs are typically our most scrutinized activities and have the fewest problems of any work we perform in the Tank Farms.
ISM Core Functions and Principles
- Principle 1: Line Management Responsibility for Safety
- Principle 2: Clear Roles and Responsibilities
- Core Function 1: Define Scope of Work ; Principle 4: Balanced Priorities
- Core Function 2: Analysis of Hazards
- Core Function 3: Develop and Implement Hazard Controls; Principle 5: Identification of Safety Standards and Requirements; Principle 6: Hazard Controls Tailored to Work Being Performed
- Core Function 5: Provide Feedback and Continuous Improvement
