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Coal Plant Industrial Hygiene

Report Information

Date Issued
Report Number
2020-15754
Report Type
Inspection / Evaluation
Description
The Office of the Inspector General found the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) industrial hygiene planning and assessment process had weaknesses that resulted in some hazards not being identified and evaluated. Specifically, we identified the following industrial hygiene process weaknesses: (1) TVA relied on limited information to identify health hazards; (2) there was no formal evaluation of the risks posed by hazards identified; (3) industrial hygiene plans did not prioritize hazards for control; and (4) incomplete monitoring efforts, which allowed for misalignment between plans and exposure assessments as well as limited coverage for retiring plants. We also found TVA did not take appropriate actions to address some adverse conditions identified during assessments. We determined actions were not taken to address four occurrences of elevated silica. We also determined some employees were not notified of hazard exposures or actions taken to address their exposures, as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In addition, we identified opportunities for improvement related to handling of industrial hygiene issues in the contractor population.
Joint Report
Yes
Participating OIG
Tennessee Valley Authority OIG
Agency Wide
Yes (agency-wide)
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0
View report on Oversight.gov

Recommendations

We recommend the Director, Safety, consider amending the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) 18.900, Implement Industrial Hygiene Activities, to require TVA conduct periodic monitoring of actions taken by contract employers to address adverse conditions identified in industrial hygiene exposure assessments.

We recommend the Director, Safety, revise the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Safety Procedure, Implement Industrial Hygiene Activities, to require TVA notify contract employers of any contractor exposures identified by TVA’s industrial hygiene program.

We recommend the Director, Safety, revise the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Safety Procedure, Implement Industrial Hygiene Activities, to identify when TVA should receive industrial hygiene exposure assessments issued to contractors as well as define associated responsibilities for any adverse conditions identified in such reports.

We recommend the Senior Vice President, Power Operations, in coordination with the Director, Safety, take steps to include signed employee exposure letters in employee medical files.

We recommend the Senior Vice President, Power Operations, in coordination with the Director, Safety, reinforce the need to document exposure investigations, including actions taken or justifications when actions are not needed.