8 J

f ;

K. K. Konzen* and J. M. Langsted, CHPt

Abstract

Implementation of a Radiological Safety Coach Program

WCEJV

The Safe Sites of Colorado Radiological Safety program has implemented a Safety Coach position, responsible for mentoring workers and line management by providing effective on-the-job radiological skills training and explanation of the rational for radiological safety requirements. This position is significantly different fiom a traditional classroom instructor or a facility health physicist, and provides workers with a level of radiological safety guidance not routinely provided by typical training programs.

Implementation of this position presents a challenge in providing effective instruction, requiring rapport with the radiological worker not typically developed in the routine radiological training environment. The value of this unique training will be discussed in perspective with cost-savings through better radiological control. Measures of Success were developed to quantify program performance and provide a realistic picture of the benefits of providing one-on-one or small group training.

This paper will provide a description of the unique features of the program, measures of success for the program, a formula for implementing this program at other facilities, and a strong argument for the success (or failure) of the program in a time of increased radiological safety emphasis and reduced radiological safety budgets.

Introduction

To improve the conduct of radiological work at the Rocky Flats Environmental

Technology Site, Safe Sites of Colorado, LLC (SSOC) implemented a Radiological

Safety Coach program to provide supplemental radiological worker instruction on a one-

on-one basis. A six month pilot demonstrated the utility of this program, and identified

the difficulty in quantifying the benefits. Although the program was deemed a success by

* Safe Sites of Colorado, Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, Box 464, Golden, CO 80402-0464 M.H. Chew & Associates, Inc., 420 Corporate Circle, Unit Q, Golden, CO 80401-1519

DISCLAIMER

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, compieteness, or use- fulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any spe- cific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, rnanufac- turer, or otherwise dots not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, mom- mendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

DISCLAIMER

Portions of this document may be illegible electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document.

Radiological Safety management, the program was not successfully “sold” to facility

management for continuation into the next fiscal year.

Program Inception

The SSOC Radiological Safety Division Manager conceived the Radiological Safety

Coach program to facilitate the final implementation step of workplace radiological

safety requirements. Too often, requirements are successfully identified and incorporated

into written procedure, but implementation of these radiological safety behaviors are not

seen in the safety culture. Failure of this final step may be caused by lack of technical

understanding or the regulatory rational for these required actions. To instill this level of

understanding in the radiological worker, requires increased access to the Radiological

Safety program and instruction tailored to the individual worker’s level of sophistication

and understanding.

Various programs have been used to increase radiological safety compliance: increased

communication, buttons and slogans, and increased management attention and presence.

These approaches result in temporary improvement, but the continued lack of adequate

radiological safety conduct demonstrates the need for additional effort concentrated on

the worker.

The Radiological Safety Coach program provides a service distinctly different from

mentoring programs which typically advise management; and training programs which

provide information to workers in classroom settings, small group environments, or by

2

computer based means. The Radiological Safety Coach program provides individualized

training to the radiological worker by on-the-floor contact and one-on-one discussion,

often at the workplace. Work breaks or pauses often provide an opportunity for

discussion. Conversations also occur in break rooms, cafeterias, hallways, and locker

rooms. Small group training opportunities arise during breaks, or formalized training

sessions during normal and off-shifts.

The Radiological Safety Coach program addresses the understanding and behaviors of

radiological workers, Radiological Control Technicians, and line management both

within and outside of the Radiological Safety organization. Significant attention is

focused on the Radiological Control Technician, as these individuals spend almost all of

their time in support of Radiological Safety and provide the closest day-to-day contact

with all other workers in the facility that are performing radiological work.

An added benefit of the Radiological Safety Coach's close association with the

radiological workers is that the workers will identify radiological problems not typically

seen by facility management. In addition, interaction between Radiological Safety

Coaches themselves will identifl interfacility inconsistencies. It is necessary to convene

the Coaches as a group on a regular basis to foster this communication,.

Program Implementation

The Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site is a Department of Energy cold war

decommissioning project. The Site currently stores twelve and a half tons of weapons

3

,

grade plutonium, and processes and manages residues and wastes containing plutonium.

The Site has started decommissioning and dismantlment of buildings that were used for

the production of weapons components for the United States military. Approximately

4500 employees from over 70 companies perform this work. The major facilities

(building complexes) are managed as separate projects. Each facility is managed by one

of the three major subcontractors at the Site. The Radiological Safety program is

managed by SSOC and staff are matrixed to the projects which maintain daily

management control over these individuals.

The Radiological Safety Coach program was piloted in two major facilities at the Site.

These facilities employ approximately 350 employees in one and 250 employees in the

other. Both facilities are run by SSOC.

Program definition

The program is defined by a “Radiological Safety Coach Mentoring Plan,”I providing

program definition, a detailed approach based on the radiological safety issues identified

at the time, and facility assignments for the two identified individuals. The plan also

provides a job description, monthly report format, and a status reporting protocol that

quantifies coaching activities performed.

available from the authors

4

Approach

Implementation of the Radiological Safety Coach pilot program occurred between March

and October, 1997. Radiological Safety management was carefbl to select qualified

individuals based on their Site experience and people skills. Site experience was

necessary to correctly interpret the technical issues encountered by radiological workers,

the safety culture these workers embrace, and the Radiological Safety program

requirements. Experience with federal regulations (10 CFR 835), DOE orders, the DOE

Radiological Control Manual, and the Site Radiological Protection Program document

was necessary. The Radiological Safety Coaches were selected because they possessed

the “people skills” necessary to instruct workers often fiustrated by the rules under which

they must work. Financial constraints allowed the placement of only two Coaches,

instead of one for each of seven major facilities. It became obvious that strong

organizational skills were also necessary. An important aspect of the program is the

follow-up and closure of various employee concerns.

Initially the Coach program recognized the need to avoid auditing and enforcement

responsibility. If the Coaches were perceived as a threat (e.g., responsible for submitting

Radiological Deficiency Reports) the workers would be reluctant to bring their questions

and concerns to the Coaches. Initially this decision caused some disagreement within

Radiological Safety management, but was found to be correct. Initially the workers

perceived the Coaches as “spies” from management. Developing a rapport with the

workers took a considerable amount of time. The Coaches could gauge the success of

5

this relationship by the number of workers bringing radiological safety related questions

to them.

Program activities

The importance of daily Coach interaction with the radiological workers and line

managers cannot be overemphasized. Through this interaction, the Coaches were able to

provide the most effective teaching. During the pilot project, the Coaches were requested

to assist with the implementation of a newly implemented self-monitoring program. This

project provided direct contact time at the step-off pads, assisting workers with self-

monitoring technique and discussing issues related to free release of materials from

radiologically controlled areas. At other times, the Coaches provided radiological

workers evaluation and instruction on the proper sequence and removal technique for

anticontamination clothing. This particular issue is highly visible and receives continuing

attention from various auditors. In one facility, the Radiological Safety Coach was able

to work directly with the Radiological Control Technicians, reviewing techniques,

discussing technical improvements, and addressing questions about the replacement of

older real-time continuous air monitors with new technology.

As the Radiological Safety Coach program progressed, the Coaches performed a

combination of duties originally planned and defined by the mentoring plan, and some

responsibilities assigned later.

6

One tendency contrary to the intent of the Radiological Safety Coach program is that

facility management soon recognized that an experienced radiological safety professional

had been added to the facility staff. The Radiological Safety Coaches were requested to

perform some radiological engineering responsibilities. These requests included: tracking

and analysis of air concentration data taken during supplied-air entries into contaminated

rooms, evaluation of room-air concentrations for several rooms as decontamination

activities progressed, and personnel protective clothing (PPE) evaluation. The Coaches

were able to use these opportunities to work with the existing Radiological Building

Engineer and line management to develop methods to perform these analyses. One

Radiological Safety Coach was requested to participate on the Building Safety Council.

This worker-level organization typically addresses individual safety issues within the

facility and takes action to resolve many of these issues on their own. This demonstrated

to the workforce that the Coach was interested in action, as well as instruction. In another

case, a Radiological Safety Coach was requested to provide radiological safety expertise

to a series of radiological spill drills performed in one of the facilities. This required

acting as a controller/evaluator and promoted the “outside auditor” perception with some

workers, negating the rapport building that had occurred.

Program metrics

The primary shortcoming of the Radiological Safety Coach program is the inability to

demonstrate a measurable benefit. To keep management apprised of the coaching

activities, the Radiological Safety Coach program provided a monthly report which

provided a forum for the Coach program to address programmatic issues, detail specific

7

actions taken, and to provide quantitative measures of coaching activities performed.

These quantitative measures were: points of attention, issues worked, briefings

conducted, Radiological Safety staff consultations, radiological worker contacts, and jobs

and meetings visited. These metrics did not measure the success of the Radiological

Safety Coach program, only quantified the actions taken. There remains a need to

identify those measures of Radiological Safety program success that were changed by

radiological worker coaching. Some measures investigated were: Radiological

Deficiency Report reduction, audit result improvement, reduction in workplace

radiological releases, and attainment of ALARA goals. Unfortunately, for an individual

facility each of these measures addresses low numbers and have many other management

pressures for reduction. In the pilot period of the Radiological Safety Coach program, it

was not possible to see a reduction in these measures.

The Coach program does incur significant cost. The level of expertise and experience

provided by the Radiological Safety Coaches is high. These individuals have ten to

twenty years of radiological safety experience, and salary requirements commensurate

with that level of experience. It will be necessary to develop a codbenefit comparison,

demonstrating the value of the Radiological Safety Coach program. Without the

identification of a metric demonstrating the utility of the Radiological Safety Coach

program, this has not been possible. The pilot program was funded by the Radiological

Safety program and an attempt to transition the program over to the facilities was

unsuccessful. This was probably because adequate benefit had not been demonstrated.

8

. *

Radiological Safety management does desire to continue the program, and believes in the

utility of the program.

Lessons Learned

After completion of the Radiological Safety Coach pilot program, several lessons have

been learned that would benefit the implementation of a similar program at other

facilities.

1. Sell the program

It is important to inform facility management that a Radiological Safety Coach program

will be available to their employees. Facility management can promote the program,

providing radiological workers and line management with an understanding of the

resource now available to them, and acting as a sponsor to promote a level of authority

for the Radiological Safety Coach. Access to facility management will also provide the

Radiological Safety Coach a resource to better understand the radiological safety issues

specific to that facility.

2. Start prior to major change

Some significant change in radiological safety activities or requirements in the facility

will provide an opportunity for the Radiological Safety Coach to become involved with

the facility and interact with the workers. For example, the implementation of self-

monitoring provided a chance for the Coaches to work with the majority of the facility

radiological workers and gain immediate recognition. It did take significantly longer

9

however, for the Coaches to gain the rapport necessary to understand worker concerns

and their lack of understanding of the Radiological Safety program.

3. Establish costbenefit

It is critical to identify parameters that will provide evidence of the program’s success.

These metrics provide a means of demonstrating that the cost incurred to implement this

program resulted in improved radiological safety at the facility. If the amount of

radiological work within the facility changes, some normalizing factor must be applied to

any quantitative measures.

Conclusion

The Radiological Safety Coach program placed an experienced individual unusually close

to radiological workers in a training capacity to provide a better understanding of the

technical basis and regulatory requirements needed to safely perform radiological work

activities. With this better understanding, the workers are more likely to comply with

radiological safety requirements.

It is difficult to identify measurements of the Radiological Safety program that

successfully demonstrate that these coaching activities do result in better compliance.

We believe this is because of the insensitivity of available metrics, rather than the failure

of the Radiological Safety Coach concept.

10