Hanford workers recognized for safety

More Hanford contractors have been awarded the Voluntary Protection Program Star of Excellence Award.

Washington Closure Hanford and CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Co. received the award, along with Mission Support Alliance for its safeguards and security group and the HAMMER training center. The Department of Energy announced earlier that Bechtel National also received the award, DOE’s highest for safety.

Washington Closure was given the Legacy of Stars award for four consecutive Star of Excellence awards.

The Star of Excellence Award is given to sites that demonstrate excellence in outreach and mentoring efforts and exemplary employee involvement and management leadership related to the safety program.

In addition, CH2M Hill received a national VPP Participants Association Safety and Health Outreach Award for its After School Matters program. In the program, workers share safety practices outside Hanford by discussing their work with students and leading activities related to Hanford. The program also includes academic tutoring, mentoring and physical fitness development.

Mission Support Alliance’s Kevin Schoonover received the national VPP Participants Association Safety and Health Achievement Program Award, which is given to non-management workers.

Schoonover took on additional tasks for the Voluntary Protection Program, including conducting assessments, developing the Electrical Utilities Safety Plan, leading an employee safety council and serving on the Safety Improvement Team.

This story was originally published October 4, 2015 at 10:01 PM with the headline "Hanford workers recognized for safety."