Protected Assumptions Keep West Valley Main Plant Demolition Safe, Compliant

Site reaches 75% completion mark in Main Plant demolition

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. - The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) has completed 75% of the Main Plant Process Building demolition at the West Valley Demonstration Project as its cleanup contractor at the site exceeds 1 million work hours without a lost-time illness or injury since April last year.

Site leaders attribute these successes to a conscientious workforce and the use of protected assumptions.

Protected assumptions are rules that govern the deactivation and decommissioning of the Main Plant. Work crews follow these assumptions to ensure work is performed in a manner that keeps the workers, public and environment safe.

"The protected assumptions are the first line of defense to control airborne and surface contamination at its source," said Stephen Bousquet, EM assistant director for West Valley's Office of Project Management. "In addition, EM's planned approach also incorporates best practices, lessons learned and robust safety controls and techniques to demolish the building."

Pre-job briefings are held daily to discuss the protected assumptions while team members review a 3D model of the Main Plant. The site considers the 3D model to be an indispensable tool for demolition safety as it shows everything from walls and support beams to equipment and piping within the Main Plant.

Subject matter experts with EM and its West Valley cleanup contractor, CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV), also observe the workforce's implementation of the protected assumptions. That helps ensure adherence to the assumptions while providing real-time information for continuous improvements.

In addition to the protected assumptions, the site has protections associated with equipment, demolition rate and sequence, dust suppression, monitoring, wind speed and direction, debris and water management, and handling of specialty items, such as a tank that needs to be removed and packaged.

Jason Casper, CHBWV president, said the site has an excellent workforce that is capable, knowledgeable and safety-minded.

"They know the importance of adhering to the protected assumptions and have the authority to stop work when conditions change or could pose a safety hazard," Casper said.

He added, "The Main Plant is the most difficult facility to remove from the site. Deconstructing this building and others has become almost a science with extensive planning, engineered controls, characterization, robust safety measures, specialized equipment and lessons learned."

-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere

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