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Oak Ridge, Tenn.— Safety, infrastructure, and operations are the heartbeat of a manufacturing facility. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) Office of Safety, Infrastructure, and Operations (NA-50) recently awarded the 2021 NA-50 Excellence Awards to teams that helped keep production moving at the Pantex Plant and Y-12 National Security Complex.
The annual award program was established to recognize teams and individuals for accomplishments made in support of NA-50 efforts to achieve the NNSA mission. Two teams at Pantex and five teams at Y-12 were honored for their innovation, teamwork, and collaboration.
Pantex projects
Pantex projects receiving awards returned the site to safe operations after record-low temperatures and established a new printed wire assembly capability.
The Pantex Freeze Event Team went into action when temperature extremes caused freeze damage in 22 production and support facilities. The team included NNSA Production Office (NPO) staff and resolved 184 work orders and returned the facilities to safe operational status.
The other recognized Pantex team focused on supporting a printed wire assembly (PWA) capability, which included facility modifications and upgrades to support the process. This solution reduces PWA building times and increases efficiency.
Y-12 projects
The Y-12 projects ranged from producing sustainable disinfectant to coordinating with the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) on disposition of legacy facilities. In addition to CNS staff, employees from the following entities were also recognized: the NPO, OREM, the Y‑12 Acquisition and Project Management Office, GemTech NSS, and UCOR.
One team was honored for performing a transportation risk assessment on a package that required a national security exemption before it could be shipped. The work by the team became the basis for the exemption approval process.
Two projects with ties to OREM received awards. The first team worked with GemTech NSS to safely removed three buildings without damaging or impacting an adjacent occupied facility. The second team worked with UCOR to demolish and dispose of the Biology Complex and clear the area for future use.
A Sustainability and Stewardship team removed legacy equipment in a process building to make space for new processes and equipment. This effort involved decontaminating more than 38,000 square feet of space, which removed legacy hazards from the site.
The final team partnered with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to manufacture disinfectant on site. This effort improved safety and allowed employees to continue working during the pandemic. These award-winning projects highlight the caliber of work at Pantex and Y-12 as modernization efforts continue.
