RICHLAND, Wash. -- Dade Moeller of Richland now is providing technical direction and operation of the radiation dosimetry program for Hanford workers.

The program is among the radiological site services for that have been moved from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to Mission Support Alliance. Mission Support Alliance provides sitewide services at Hanford under a Department of Energy contract.

PNNL had provided those services since 1965.

Dade Moeller helped with the move of those services, for 7,500 workers, including helping Mission Support Alliance earn approval to perform the services under DOE's Laboratory Accreditation Program. Accreditation was a prerequisite for Mission Support Alliance to take over radiological site services.

This is the first time DOE has granted the accreditation associated with a change of organizations for programs with the scope and magnitude of the Hanford program, according to Dade Moeller.

"Dade Moeller is a well respected entity at the Hanford Site, as well as nationally, within the fields of radiation protection and worker safety," said Keith Klein, former manager of the DOE Richland Operations Office, who worked to create a Hanford site services contract.

Dade Moeller's reputation should give workers a high level of confidence in workplace safety, he said.

Dade Moeller will provide technical direction to Hanford's radiation dosimetry programs, which includes measuring and calculating the dose if workers are exposed to ionizing radiation.

The company also will provide technical direction to the Radiation Exposure Records Program, which preserves records of workers' radiological exposures and maintains Hanford's dosimetry policies and procedures.