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Gas Plant Industrial Hygiene

Report Information

Date Issued
Report Number
2020-15755
Report Type
Inspection / Evaluation
Description
The Office of the Inspector General determined the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) industrial hygiene (IH) planning and assessment process had weaknesses that resulted in some hazards not being identified and evaluated. Specifically, we identified the following IH process weaknesses: (1) TVA relied on limited information to identify health hazards; (2) there was no formal evaluation of the risks posed by identified hazards; (3) IH plans did not prioritize hazards; and, (4) an incomplete monitoring process allowed for misalignment between plans and exposure assessments. We also determined TVA is taking appropriate actions to address adverse conditions which were identified during assessments at gas plants; however, hazard exposures were not documented and employees were not notified as required. In addition, we identified opportunities for improvement related to handling of IH 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, periodically monitor the effectiveness of the industrial hygiene (IH) program to include the alignment of IH plans and exposure assessments.

We recommend the Director, Safety, determine the appropriate assessment cycle frequency for gas plants and update the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Safety Procedure, Implement Industrial Hygiene Activities, , if necessary.

We recommend the Director, Safety, conduct industrial hygiene assessments of gas plants that had limited or no coverage since January 1, 2017.

We recommend the Director, Safety, take immediate actions to create an industrial hygiene plan at Paradise combined cycle plant.

We recommend the Director, Safety, conduct a formal, documented, risk assessment of health hazards at gas plants that includes robust hazard identification, risk evaluation, and prioritization and update industrial hygiene plans as necessary.