Portsmouth Site Brings Vendors, Fun to Annual Health and Safety Fair

Employees at the Portsmouth Site visit with colleagues and vendors during the Health and Safety Fair.

PIKETON, Ohio - Safety is the highest priority at the Portsmouth Site, and more than 1,000 federal and contractor team members there recently joined the local community to refresh their focus on this core value during the site's annual Health and Safety Fair.

"Each year the event gets bigger and better," Portsmouth Site Lead Jeremy Davis said. "It is nice to see so many community and local partners participate and provide information at the Portsmouth Site."

At the fair, vendors provide information on personal protective equipment such as work shoes and safety glasses. Local healthcare providers offer screenings for diabetes, blood pressure, body mass index and strength through grip testing.

"It's a one-stop shop for all things health and safety related," Event Coordinator Stephanie Neu said. "This is a good place to have fun while we refresh our focus."

Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth Public Affairs Supervisor Donnie Locke serves food to Environmental Science Technician Isaac Mullins during the Health and Safety Fair at the Portsmouth Site. The lunch served as a fundraiser for the Feds Feed Families program.

Manager Lydian Torres Garcia, right, and Internal Auditor Rachel Thompson, center, from Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth Compliance and Internal Audit, quiz Environmental Science Supervisor Jodi Hall on ethics fundamentals during the Health and Safety Fair.

Several departments at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management site set up booths at the event, offering games and trivia about safety to win prizes. The event also provided opportunities to learn more about the site's Diversity Council and to support a Feds Feed Families event by purchasing a lunch. Since Feds Feed Families launched in 2009, the campaign has collected more than 107 million pounds of food for donation.

"Not only is this a place where employees can get health screenings and play safety trivia for prizes, but it's a place where they can share the importance of safety with one another, and that is where our culture strengthens," said Greg Wilkett, project manager for Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, the prime contractor for the Portsmouth Site's decontamination and decommissioning project.

-Contributor: Shawn Jordan