Improved Analysis Empowers Hanford to Manage Risk More Effectively, Lower Costs

A sitewide training enhancement is shortening timelines for Hanford’s investigation and apparent cause analysis processes.

RICHLAND, Wash. — A recent innovation in apparent cause analysis (ACA) practices at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site is speeding up investigations and improving efficiency — all while supporting the safe, ongoing Office of Environmental Management cleanup mission.

ACA is a process used to figure out why an issue or problem happened in the workplace. In 2024, Hanford’s ACA processes were found to be unnecessarily complex, with cycle times between 30 and 100 working days but not resulting in better answers. So, the Contractor Assurance team with Hanford Field Office contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) organized a workshop with other Hanford contractors to develop an easier, more unified approach.

This led to HMIS piloting a new process and other Hanford contractors using elements of this new process. The group created a simplified worksheet, standardized training and updated procedures to meet requirements and current industry practices — all without lowering the quality or thoroughness of the investigations.

“Streamlining the approach to event investigations and cause analyses has reduced cycle times while maintaining clarity and quality in the results,” said Tim O’Byrne, Hanford Field Office Assurance Performance manager. “The biggest impact has been much faster turnaround, which enhances operational efficiency and helps manage risk more effectively.”

The improvements reduce both risks and costs so vital work continues. Teams can find and fix problems faster, supporting round-the-clock operations and keeping the cleanup mission on track.

“The updates we’ve implemented for cause analysis have become the standard across the site,” said Shawn Gibson, Contractor Assurance manager with HMIS. “The collaboration has been a testament to the One Hanford approach to our mission.”