Trainers at the Hanford Site’s Maintenance and Storage Facility recently demonstrated the use of different tools, and workers practiced techniques to address complex hazards in the field.
Trainers at the Hanford Site’s Maintenance and Storage Facility recently demonstrated the use of different tools, and workers practiced techniques to address complex hazards in the field.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Hands-on training in a full-scale mock-up facility is critical to about 40 new employees with EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) as they prepare for work on the Hanford Site’s Central Plateau.

   The 28,000-square-foot Maintenance and Storage Facility (MASF) has been used to develop tools, techniques, and processes to tackle some of the site’s most complex cleanup challenges.

   Technologies first tested at MASF are now being used to remove highly radioactive sludge from a storage basin near the Columbia River. RL and CHPRC also used the facility to develop a prototype saw to cut through a concrete floor to remotely access and remove highly contaminated soil underneath a former laboratory and research building just north of the city of Richland.

Justin Weathers, right, an employee with EM Richland Operations Office contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC), instructs a new hire on the use of a specialized drill system.
Justin Weathers, right, an employee with EM Richland Operations Office contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC), instructs a new hire on the use of a specialized drill system.

   Trainers at the facility recently demonstrated the use of tools, and workers practiced techniques to address the site’s complex hazards. Training on cutting contaminated pipe or sampling contaminated ductwork in a simulated environment gives workers the chance to master processes in a contamination-free space before starting work in the field.

   “The ability to replicate real-world scenarios allows trainers and supervisors to evaluate workers’ skill levels and assign them to areas where they will be most effective in contributing to our critical cleanup mission,” said Tom Bratvold, Central Plateau Risk Management Project vice president. “We look forward to these workers joining our teams in the field when they complete their training later this month.”