Employee Uses Portsmouth Site Training to Save Co-worker’s Life

Portsmouth Site Radiation Technician Camron Griffey is recognized with the Fluor Silver Medallion Award for Safety. From left, Southern Ohio Cleanup Company Program Manager Pat Timbes, Griffey and Deputy Program Manager Mike Furner.

PIKETON, Ohio — Radiation Technician Camron Griffey demonstrated that always being prepared can save a life.

He and his co-workers were on lunch break at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Portsmouth Site when he heard someone choking at the table behind him.

“When I asked him if he was choking and he couldn’t answer, I jumped up and hit him in the back really hard, but that didn’t work,” Griffey said.

Griffey wasted no time and immediately started the Heimlich Maneuver. After just a couple attempts, the food causing his co-worker to choke was dislodged.

“My instinct just kicked in when I heard him in trouble and I just did it,” Griffey said.

Griffey was awarded the Fluor Silver Medallion Award for Safety for his quick action. It was established in 1992 as the company’s highest safety award. Fluor is a parent company of the Southern Ohio Cleanup Company, the deactivation and demolition contractor at the Portsmouth Site. Griffey is employed by the contractor.

His supervisor, Travis Wright, said it all happened in a matter of seconds.

“There was no hesitation. Camron was quick to react. As soon as he heard his co-worker was in trouble, he jumped to action. By the time I finished dialing 911, he had saved his life,” Wright said.

Last year, Griffey took advantage of a first aid course offered to all workers on the Portsmouth Site that includes CPR, Heimlich Maneuver and automated external defibrillator training.

“Camron’s instinct and training is a great example of the safety culture at the Portsmouth Site,” Acting Portsmouth Site Lead Jud Lilly said. “He took those classes on his own. It wasn’t a requirement, and that desire to be ready in an emergency made the difference in what could have been a tragic outcome that day.”

-Contributor: Cindi Remy