Decontamination Reduces Worker Protection Levels at Pueblo Plant

Entrants wearing Level C protective gear measure for installation of a new device to remove the dome from the Agent Neutralization Reactor inside the Agent Processing Building at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Dec. 4. This entry is the first since 2016 during which the highest level of employee protection was not required in this area, due to effective decontamination and cleaning.
Entrants wearing Level C protective gear measure for installation of a new device to remove the dome from the Agent Neutralization Reactor inside the Agent Processing Building at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Dec. 4. This entry is the first since 2016 during which the highest level of employee protection was not required in this area, due to effective decontamination and cleaning.

Extensive decontamination and cleaning efforts at the Pueblo plant have allowed certain workers to downgrade their level of protective dress, which will lower physical strain on employees and reduce operational costs.

“Due to the reduction in toxic contaminant levels, we were able to transition five Toxic Area air-monitoring stations from monitoring for the high levels required during operations to lower-level monitoring criteria,” said Brian Ramdwar, deputy plant manager, Bechtel Pueblo Team (BPT). “This status allowed us to safely reduce how entrants dress when in the Toxic Area and still remain safe and in regulatory compliance.”

On Dec. 4, workers made the first Toxic Area entry wearing lower levels of gear since operations began in 2016, due to the effective decontamination and cleaning activities. The lower protection levels allow workers to perform duties without having to pull air hoses with them as they move, to handle tools more easily and effectively, and to lower stress levels from wearing the more-restrictive gear.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives gave approval for the reduction in monitoring July 15, after the plant successfully met demonstration requirements.

The highest level of protective dress, Demilitarization Protective Ensemble (DPE), fully encapsulated suits, is still required for entries focused on equipment disassembly and removal, said Marty Vigil, project specialist, BPT, but their overall frequency will decrease as decontamination continues to lower chemical-agent levels. As this occurs, lower-level dress entries will become more common.

“According to our closure schedule, we anticipate that the final DPE entries will occur in spring of 2025,” said Walton Levi, site project manager, Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP).

PCAPP follows stringent Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and has Star Status designation in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program due to the plant’s safety culture and record. The highest priority during the closure phase is the safety of the workforce, community and environment.

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