Stop work order issued for some Hanford tank farm work

A Hanford tank farm employee called a stop to certain work at the tank farms near the end of the workday Monday over questions about beryllium controls.

Work resumed Tuesday afternoon after the stop work order was lifted.

The order covered all activities requiring beryllium controls or intrusive work in the tank farms.

The Hanford nuclear reservation has a site wide program to control exposure to beryllium, and a worker questioned whether the program was appropriately implemented at the tank farms by contractor Washington River Protection Solutions.

Beryllium is a metal that can cause an incurable respiratory illness in susceptible workers who breathe in fine particles.

“Washington River Protection Solutions takes worker safety very seriously,” the company said in a statement. “Stopping work is not only a right, it is the responsibility of all WRPS workers who feel there is a safety issue.”

Managers met with the employee Tuesday to discuss concerns, which were resolved, according to Hanford officials. A stop work order may be lifted if a manager and employee reach agreement.

This story was originally published March 21, 2017 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Stop work order issued for some Hanford tank farm work."