Page 4 - SRNS_Today_May_2021

4 | SRNS TODAY | MAY 2021
HPI tools reduce

human error

To aid personnel in reducing the chance and/or severity of an error while
performing their activities, SRS has recently taken steps to strengthen
the use of Human Performance Improvement (HPI) error reduction tools.
Human performance is generally recognized as a series of behaviors
Workers prepare for sediment removal activities for the L Basin settler tank, used to accomplish specific tasks. HPI principles provide a systematic
an activity that hasn’t been completed in almost two decades. approach to improving individual and organizational performance.
“SRS began using HPI tools approximately 15 years ago, and while they
Sediment removal are still used, the emphasis on their importance in everyday activities
became stale over time,” SRNS Conduct of Operations (CONOPS)
extends life of Program Manager Daryl Smoldt said. “HPI tools provide workers with
methods to help anticipate, prevent or catch errors, and we want to
make sure they are accessible for all employees. To do this, we took
disassembly basin a fresh look at how we taught and reinforced these tools and ways to
make them better.”
SRNS employees safely removed sediment from a tank for a basin Some of the recent efforts include creating videos for employees;
used to store spent nuclear fuel from former SRS production reactors, integrating HPI more closely with CONOPS principles; developing an
and from foreign and domestic research reactor programs. HPI Sustainability plan; and establishing an HPI Lab, that is home to
two HuPerT Trainers, electronic devices that react in real time to
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The underwater storage facility, known as the L Disassembly Basin, participants who are following directions in a procedure.
holds approximately 3.4 million gallons of water, with pool depths of
17 to 50 feet. The basin water provides shielding to protect workers “The HPI Lab is accessible to all Site employees and uses Dynamic
from radiation. The settler tank is part of a filtration system used to Learning Activities to help participants understand HPI tools by using
ensure water clarity. them in a fun and hands-on way,” said Smoldt. “For example, one of
our activities has one participant describing a specific structure built
“It’s important that the water remains clear, so operators can see from Legos , while another participant tries to assemble the structure
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what they are doing when they handle fuel under water,” L Basin without being able to see each other. This activity shows participants
Deputy Facility Manager Neil McIntosh said. “Over time, the settler the hazards of imprecise communication habits, interpretation
tank becomes full, and we have to remove and dispose of the requirements, and assumptions and emphasizes the error-reduction
contaminated sediment.” tools of a questioning attitude, three-way communications and pre-job
The last time sediment needed to be pumped from the tank, nearly 20 briefing to name a few.”
years ago, personnel used equipment known as a sludge processing unit HPI error reduction tools include self-checking, peer-checking, timeouts,
(SPU), which would require expensive modernization work to use again. use of the phonetic alphabet, procedure use and adherence, flagging,
L Area waste management personnel, along with SRNL and engineering task preview/job site review, pre-job briefings, a questioning attitude,
support, found commercially available products to perform the use of three-way communications and place-keeping. HPI tools are
sediment removal, a less expensive alternative to updating the SPU. most commonly used by those in operations but can also be used by
employees in administrative and support roles.
“After a pump removed water and sediment from the tank, a cloth-like
membrane retained the sediment,” McIntosh said. “This material was Click below to watch the SRS YouTube channel Lego Dynamic
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placed into a waste container to be shipped to the SRS Solid Waste Learning Activity video.
Management Facility, and the water was returned to L Basin.”
A mock-up of the removal process was created to ensure the safety
and proper training of employees, as well as the viability of the removal
equipment. Employees who performed hands-on work participated
in several dry runs to aid procedure development and ensure correct
implementation. Several lessons learned came out of the dry run
activities and were applied in final planning for the removal.
“The work to remove the sediment from the settler tank will ensure
L Basin’s life is extended for as long as needed,” said DOE Program
Manager Michele O’Shaughnessy. “SRNS’ collaboration, teamwork
and careful planning helped ensure safe and cost-effective
sediment removal.”