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Hydro Plant Industrial Hygiene

Report Information

Date Issued
Report Number
2020-15756
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) incomplete monitoring efforts allowed misalignment between procedures, plans, and exposure assessments. We also determined TVA took appropriate actions to address adverse conditions, which were identified during assessments at hydro plants; however, TVA did not maintain employee notification records as required by internal procedures. In addition, we identified opportunities for improvement related to clarifying responsibilities for notification and monitoring of contractor actions taken to address IH recommendations.
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 program to include the alignment of industrial hygiene plans and exposure assessments.

We recommend the Director, Safety, determine the appropriate assessment cycle frequency for hydro 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 hydro sites that had limited or no coverage sinceJanuary 1, 2017.

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