Salt Waste Processing Facility Wins Engineering News-Record SE Safety Award

PASADENA, CA (October 12, 2016) – The Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) project in Aiken, SC, has been named the winner of Engineering News-Record Southeast’s (ENR SE’s) 2016 Excellence in Safety Award. This award recognizes excellence in safety among construction projects in the Southeast (Florida, Georgia, and North and South Carolina). SWPF is a $2.3 billion Department of Energy (DOE) facility designed to process the radioactive waste stored in 51 underground tanks at the Savannah River Site. Construction of the facility was completed after nearly 9 years, in April 2016.

“Completing construction of the Salt Waste Processing Facility safely and on schedule was a top priority for Parsons,” stated Chris Alexander, Parsons Executive Vice President and Manager of the Federal Infrastructure and Environment Division. “We are pleased that the achievements of the team supporting this highly complex project have been recognized by Engineering News-Record SE.”

“Working with the Federal Project Director and DOE staff, we implemented numerous strategies to safely and efficiently accelerate the SWPF schedule, and we’re proud of the entire project team for the results achieved,” stated Frank Sheppard, Parsons Senior Vice President and Project Manager.

“Safety only works if the employees support the effort. It has been great to see the SWPF employees take the lead for their own safety, feel responsible for the safety of each other, and be willing to ask questions of the safety staff and supervisors. It is not an easy culture to establish in a typical construction site,” added Chuck Swain, Parsons Vice President and Director of Construction.

In announcing the award, ENR SE commended SWPF not only for its safety record but also for the program credited with producing those results. Parsons implemented a safety program at the site based on early training and employee-based safety observations. An Employee Safety Committee meets all new hires to introduce them to project expectations for safety performance and employee participation. The committee meets regularly to review employee feedback and observations. In the later stages of construction, the committee logged more than 1,000 safety observations per month.

This honor complements the Top Transportation Project award and the inaugural Excellence in Safety award ENR SE bestowed on Parsons’ Miami International Airport Automated People Mover System project in 2012. The DOE also recognized SWPF for worksite safety and health performance this year with Voluntary Protection Program Star status. This continuing recognition demonstrates Parsons’ commitment to its employees, contractors, and customer in reliably implementing safe, healthful, and environmentally conscious workplaces while meeting cost, schedule, and technical project requirements.

Parsons has supported the DOE at the Savannah River Site for more than 25 years. The corporation has served as the prime contractor on the SWPF project since 2002, with responsibility for design, construction, and commissioning as well as operating the facility for 1 year.