Four contractors with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s Portsmouth Paducah Project Office (PPPO) recently reached significant safety milestones, collectively achieving nearly 18 million safe work hours.
Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office
April 29, 2025
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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Four contractors with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s Portsmouth Paducah Project Office (PPPO) recently reached significant safety milestones, collectively achieving nearly 18 million safe work hours. The accomplishment demonstrates their commitment to a strong safety culture while making substantial progress in cleanup at the sites.
Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth (FBP), the deactivation and demolition contractor at the Portsmouth Site, reached 10 million hours without a lost-time accident in February. Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership (FRNP), the deactivation and remediation contractor at the Paducah Site, exceeded 4 million hours without a lost-time accident in March. Mid-America Conversion Services (MCS), the operator of the depleted uranium hexafluoride conversion facilities in Portsmouth and Paducah, recently surpassed 2.5 million hours without a lost-time incident. Swift & Staley Team (SST), the infrastructure support services contractor at the Paducah Site, achieved 1 million hours without a recordable injury in February.
“Our contractors make safety the highest priority,” PPPO Manager Joel Bradburne said. “Seeing these milestones reaffirms what we already know: The most important thing is ensuring our team goes to work each morning and returns home safely each and every day.”
As work progresses toward the future reindustrialization of the sites, these accomplishments serve as a reminder that a robust safety culture is not just a priority, it is integral to the mission. FBP represents the largest PPPO contractor workforce, with approximately 2,000 employees, which impacts how quickly the team accumulates safe work hours. This marks the first time in the site’s history they have reached the 10 million-hour milestone.
“We are proud of this accomplishment and the culture shift that has happened here onsite,” FBP Site Project Director Greg Wilkett said. “It’s not about the numbers, it’s about the people and the laser focus everyone has on safety for themselves and their co-workers.”
FRNP’s 4 million safe work hours represent a continuous safety record since February 2023, the most hours during the FRNP contract and by any cleanup contractor at the Paducah Site.
“This accomplishment reflects the dedication, vigilance and teamwork of everyone involved as we continue the critical work that will lead to investment in future reindustrialization for our nation’s energy industry and the community that supports our work,” FRNP Site Program Manager Myrna Redfield said.
The MCS team is approaching three years without a lost-time accident.
“We are incredibly proud of this achievement, which reflects our relentless commitment to safety and the well-being of our employees,” MCS Project Manager Dutch Conrad said. “This milestone is not just about the numbers. It represents the collective effort of our dedicated team who prioritizes safety in every aspect of their work.”
The SST achievement also represents three years of performing work safely.
“The milestone reflects SST’s commitment to risk recognition and control,” SST Acting Project Manager Anthony Gilbert said.
The Paducah and Portsmouth sites continue to demonstrate prioritizing workforce safety is essential to achieving operational goals. Other contractor teams, including the technical support services contractor, Enterprise Technical Assistance Services, and the Portsmouth infrastructure support services contractor, North Wind Dynamics, also continue to work safely and advance toward significant safety milestones.
-Contributors: Kearney Canter, Shawn Jordan, Dylan Nichols, Amanda Scott