‘Green Eyes’ Advantage: Seeing Safety Differently at Savannah River Site

From left, Green Eyes Safety Review Team members Clay Beam, Corbin Seigler, Duke Snider and Branson Taylor assess a laydown yard at the Savannah River Site for inefficiencies and improvements.

AIKEN, S.C. — The Construction Services department for a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has taken its commitment to safety to new heights with its innovative “Green Eyes Safety Review Team.”

Since 2022, this team at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) has offered a “fresh eyes” approach to inspecting construction activities, shops, storage and laydown areas across the site. A laydown area is a designated area in a facility used for temporary storage and assembly of construction materials, equipment and tools.

This initiative reinforces the site’s 75-year legacy as a safety leader, with SRS garnering over 200 safety related awards since 2008.

SRNS Construction Services completed 2024 without a single lost workday, bringing the department’s total to over 2 million hours of work since its last lost workday.

“Safety is never an afterthought with this group,” said Chandler Elkins, director, SRNS Construction Services. “This team is another layer of added security to our construction activities and has been recognized as a best practice by many of our facility customers who find it both valuable and insightful.”

The Green Eyes Safety Review Team reviews a work package.

The Green Eyes Safety Review Team conducts monthly facility and fieldwork inspections to ensure compliance with safety protocols. They engage with field workers to ensure appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) usage and identify any safety concerns or hazards within work areas.

Inspections consist of a walkdown of work scopes, review of work packages, Safety Task Analysis Risk Reduction Talk (STARRT) cards, technical work documents and checklists. The STARRT cards are designed to use employee participation to identify and resolve environmental, safety and health hazards associated with a specific task prior to performing that task.

Additionally, the team members help establish clean, efficient storage and fabrication areas. Findings are documented, and management is informed of both positive and negative outcomes.

“Our primary goal is to provide proactive oversight to mitigate risks in construction and operations before incidents occur,” said Corbin Seigler, SRNS Construction Services program compliance and fire protection coordinator. “Our team offers coaching on PPE mishaps and proper barricade use, assists with work package documentation and ensures storage areas adhere to procedural guidelines.”

Bobby Hill, SRNS Construction Services site superintendent, echoed Seigler’s sentiment.

“Over time, area workers have become more comfortable being assessed and understand the site’s expectations more clearly, reinforcing good behavior and practices,” Hill said. “We are developing a culture where workers feel safe bringing up issues, knowing the team will find solutions without repercussions.”

The core safety team consists of an area representative, a program compliance representative, a safety representative, a craft general foreman, a construction discipline engineer and a construction manager. The team’s evaluations focus on many areas of the site, including the H Canyon chemical separations facility and Savannah River National Laboratory.

"We believe in identifying and addressing behavioral issues internally to maintain our excellent safety track record,” Elkins said. “The Green Eyes Safety Review Team continues to play a pivotal role in maintaining and enhancing the culture of safety at SRS, ensuring a safer environment for all employees and contractors.”

-Contributor: Mackenzie McNabb