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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Two more near fatality accidents at LANL

Two more near fatality accidents at LANL about a week ago. A dump truck knocked down a three phase power line and a fork lift driver speared the cab of a truck with the forklift tines. Word is that the tines went right through the drivers seat. Luckily no one was killed but LANL has suspended similar activities. No announcement has yet been made by LANL management.
Anyone in LANL management care to explain why?

29 comments:

Anonymous said...


LANL management is not there to explain anything to you. You are there to do your job and LANL management is there to see to that profit is made. You do your job and they will do their job. If you have a problem with than than try to improve your evaluations so that you can move up to management. If not than you just do your job and stay out of the way.

Anonymous said...

"...LANL management is not there to explain anything to you. You are there to do your job and LANL management is there to see to that profit is made. You do your job and they will do their job. If you have a problem with than than try to improve your evaluations so that you can move up to management. If not than you just do your job and stay out of the way..."

And as such, the accidents will continue as the culture of self proclaimed management elite declare ownership of "lessons learned" accident information, and non-ownership of any and all accidents as they occur, while "boots on the ground" employee experience and concern is silenced. Sad.


Anonymous said...

Don't believe that the first post was written by a labby , just someone trying to get things stirred up.

Anonymous said...

Summer 2015 to be a repeat of summer 1996?

2.2 MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
In the past nineteen months, LANL has experienced four serious accidents, one of which was fatal, and three potentially fatal. In two of the non-fatal accidents, the injured persons are expected to fully recover. In the other case, the employee has been in a coma for seven months.

On December 20, 1994 a fatal shooting accident occurred at the live fire range at LANL during a routine training exercise. A participant in the exercise accidentally carried live ammunition into the exercise. Systems and supervisors that should have detected this error failed to do so. The root causes of the event were determined to be failure to comply with procedures and inadequate management systems. Two additional non-fatal serious accidents occurred on November 22, 1995 and January 17, 1996. In the November accident, a LANL employee who was not qualified to operate a forklift, attempted to do so and caused the machine to tip over. The employee was pinned beneath the machine and received serious injuries. The direct cause of this accident was determined to be the failure of the employee to follow LANL forklift safety policy. The root cause was attributed to a lack of management controls to ensure that only licensed operators are permitted to operate forklifts. In the January accident, a LANL subcontractor employee jackhammered into a 13.2 kV primary power line and received a severe electrical shock. The worker remains in a deep coma. Although many factors contributed to this event, non-compliance with requirements and inadequate management systems were major contributors.

In addition to the Type A accident investigations conducted by the DOE, the University of California sent a fact finding team to LANL to independently investigate the three accidents and to determine corrective actions. This team report also identified non-compliance with requirements and inadequate management systems as major factors in the previous accidents. The University tasked the LANL Director to establish an integrated safety management program, improve safety communication, implement a consequences and reward program and simplify standards across LANL.

In response to this latest accident, a stop work order was issued on July 12, 1996, for energized electrical work in research and development. Recognizing the importance of individual awareness and commitment to safe work practices the LANL Director ordered the first ever site-wide stand-down of all non-essential work throughout LANL on July 16, 1996. This action included all LANL technical and administrative staff, and contractors. The objective of this stand-down was to have management and workers jointly review their work and determine if they are adequately addressing their specific hazards. A five step process is outlined in an employee safety commitment form, which upon completion of the review is to be signed jointly by all employees and their supervisors. The LANL Director informed the Board on July 15, 1996, that the signing and execution of this safety commitment will become a condition of employment at LANL. On July 17, 1996, LANL’s Director held a two-hour session for all LANL management. Resumption of work is dependent upon the specific conditions in individual work places. Many facilities resumed work after a few days and others will take much longer to return to work. Details of the stand-down were communicated to LANL employees through a special edition of the weekly LANL newspaper. The local community was informed via the news media.


http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/04/f14/9607lanl.pdf

Anonymous said...

Everyone working for LANS needs to calm down and review their online training on how to safely go up and down stairs and chew their food while walking. It's awesome stuff!

If that doesn't work then take out a glossy LANS brochure with Charlie "GQ" McMillan on the front of it in his outstanding Italian suit and Gucci loafers and admire how far we've come since LANS took over the helm of the Titanic.

Anonymous said...

LANL is on a roll!!!

Anonymous said...

It's the same old day-in and day-out safety and security issues at LANL.

Dr. Victor Reis, former Assistant Secretary of Energy for Defense Programs, DP-1, 1997

Anonymous said...

It's the same old day-in and day-out safety and security issues at LANL.

Dr. Victor Reis, former Assistant Secretary of Energy for Defense Programs, DP-1, 1997

Reis never said that. Consider the date you use, that gives it away.

Reis did say that privatization of the labs has been a failure and that was about around 2013.

Anonymous said...

More people died sitting in traffic in California yesterday.

Anonymous said...

Reis never said that. Consider the date you use, that gives it away.

July 1, 2015 at 10:00 PM

Reis served as Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs in the U.S. Department of Energy from 1993 to 1999, where he led the development of the DOE's Stockpile Stewardship Program, which was formally established by the 1994 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 103-160).

Anonymous said...

Reis served as Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs in the U.S. Department of Energy from 1993 to 1999, where he led the development of the DOE's Stockpile Stewardship Program, which was formally established by the 1994 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 103-160).

July 2, 2015 at 4:22 AM

4:22 AM? China?

Anonymous said...

Summer 2015 to be a repeat of summer 1996?

2.2 MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
In the past nineteen months, LANL has experienced four serious accidents, one of which was fatal, and three potentially fatal. In two of the non-fatal accidents, the injured persons are expected to fully recover. In the other case, the employee has been in a coma for seven months.

On December 20, 1994 a fatal shooting accident occurred at the live fire range at LANL during a routine training exercise. A participant in the exercise accidentally carried live ammunition into the exercise. Systems and supervisors that should have detected this error failed to do so. The root causes of the event were determined to be failure to comply with procedures and inadequate management systems. Two additional non-fatal serious accidents occurred on November 22, 1995 and January 17, 1996. In the November accident, a LANL employee who was not qualified to operate a forklift, attempted to do so and caused the machine to tip over. The employee was pinned beneath the machine and received serious injuries. The direct cause of this accident was determined to be the failure of the employee to follow LANL forklift safety policy. The root cause was attributed to a lack of management controls to ensure that only licensed operators are permitted to operate forklifts. In the January accident, a LANL subcontractor employee jackhammered into a 13.2 kV primary power line and received a severe electrical shock. The worker remains in a deep coma. Although many factors contributed to this event, non-compliance with requirements and inadequate management systems were major contributors.

In addition to the Type A accident investigations conducted by the DOE, the University of California sent a fact finding team to LANL to independently investigate the three accidents and to determine corrective actions. This team report also identified non-compliance with requirements and inadequate management systems as major factors in the previous accidents. The University tasked the LANL Director to establish an integrated safety management program, improve safety communication, implement a consequences and reward program and simplify standards across LANL.

In response to these accidents and other external factors, LANL has been attempting to reform their management systems. The external factors driving management systems improvements include downsizing, contract reform, revisions to traditional oversight programs, Departmental standards programs, rule making, and recommendations related to safety management from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

In response to this latest accident, a stop work order was issued on July 12, 1996, for energized electrical work in research and development. Recognizing the importance of individual awareness and commitment to safe work practices the LANL Director ordered the first ever site-wide stand-down of all non-essential work throughout LANL on July 16, 1996. This action included all LANL technical and administrative staff, and contractors. The objective of this stand-down was to have management and workers jointly review their work and determine if they are adequately addressing their specific hazards. A five step process is outlined in an employee safety commitment form, which upon completion of the review is to be signed jointly by all employees and their supervisors. The LANL Director informed the Board on July 15, 1996, that the signing and execution of this safety commitment will become a condition of employment at LANL. On July 17, 1996, LANL’s Director held a two-hour session for all LANL management. Resumption of work is dependent upon the specific conditions in individual work places. Many facilities resumed work after a few days and others will take much longer to return to work. Details of the stand-down were communicated to LANL employees through a special edition of the weekly LANL newspaper. The local community was informed via the news media.

http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/04/f14/9607lanl.pdf

Anonymous said...

"4:22 AM? China?

July 2, 2015 at 6:45 AM"

I knew Scooby's "can China be contained" thread wasgoing to lead to this!

Anonymous said...


The Reis said this poster is pretty creepy. Not sure if they are someone from China or someone living in moms basement in the United States.

Anonymous said...

July 3, 2015 at 7:07 AM

He may be from China but he hates the United States and he hates himself.

Anonymous said...


You have to remember that in 1997 LANL was utterly an out of control pit run by cowboys from hell. It was non-stop safety incidents, security incidents, the lab was in NYTs day in and day out. We all remember those extremely dark times, so it important to misquote something that was never said in a time that is utterly irrelevant to current events.

Anonymous said...

Thank God for Admiral Peter Nanos and 10:48. America thanks you both.

Anonymous said...

I doubt if 10:48 was even born in 1997. Someday Mommy will catch on to his hijinks, and restrict his access to her computer.

Anonymous said...

"I doubt if 10:48 was even born in 1997. Someday Mommy will catch on to his hijinks, and restrict his access to her computer.

July 4, 2015 at 4:00 PM"

However you to understand that Vic Reis said: It's the same old day-in and day-out safety and security issues at LANL. I do not understand why you people fail to grasp what this means.

Anonymous said...

You have to remember that in 1997 LANL was utterly an out of control pit run by cowboys from hell. It was non-stop safety incidents, security incidents, the lab was in NYTs day in and day out. We all remember those extremely dark times, so it important to misquote something that was never said in a time that is utterly irrelevant to current events.

July 4, 2015 at 10:48 AM


That time was MOST relevant to current events, since it marked the onset of the end of the UC era of Lab management. The recent fork-lift accident, the near-miss electrical accident, the discarges of guard weapons, are near identical to what happened 20 years ago. If the historical pattern is followed again, look for this to spell the end of the current Lab management group.

Anonymous said...

"That time was MOST relevant to current events, since it marked the onset of the end of the UC era of Lab management. The recent fork-lift accident, the near-miss electrical accident, the discarges of guard weapons, are near identical to what happened 20 years ago. If the historical pattern is followed again, look for this to spell the end of the current Lab management group."

False, the non-incidents that brought about the contract change occurred after 1997. Get you facts straight. In any case the current lab management is going away.

Anonymous said...

"That time was MOST relevant to current events, since it marked the onset of the end of the UC era of Lab management. The recent fork-lift accident, the near-miss electrical accident, the discarges of guard weapons, are near identical to what happened 20 years ago. If the historical pattern is followed again, look for this to spell the end of the current Lab management group."

False, the non-incidents that brought about the contract change occurred after 1997. Get you facts straight. In any case the current lab management is going away.

July 6, 2015 at 6:17 AM

Wrong. The *onset* was in the time of Vic Reis, when LANL safety and security incidents made the news on a regular basis. The contract was changed from UC as a result of these real events, and the inability of UC to respond to them. The fuss over later events, real or not, did not help the situation. The root cause, however, was the multiple events of the late 90's. That is when Congress, DoE and the press all started to expect active management of the Labs by whatever group held the operating contract. Up until the point in late 90's that LANL was getting all the bad press, all parties were content with the passive non-management style of UC.

Anonymous said...

July 6, 2015 at 10:22 AM

You have no clue, absolutely no clue what the hell you are talking about. You are truly sad pathetic and stupid and you have lived your whole life this way always blaming others and never taking responsibility for your actions.

The whole thing with LANL started with Wen Ho Lee in Dec of 1999, almost three years after 1997 and after Reis. Was it it a non event?, well did we ever prove he was a spy...no. This was followed in 2000 by the stolen mustang which was never stolen, the culture of theft that never happened. Than there was the disks behind the copier. There was good reason to keep these safe but the crazed paranoia at the the time blew this up. The whole point of the contract change at this lab and rush to corporatize everything in the United States had nothing to do with security, safety, efficiency or capitalism. It had all to do about money and selling the United States down the road. Reis himself said that privatizations of the labs was a failure. I understand that you personally hate Los Alamos and the people at the lab but this is some pathology on your part that you cannot own up to the fact that your failures in life are due to you and you alone not to the labs or evil arrogant scientists.

Anonymous said...

"evil arrogant scientist" I like that! A much better title than "Scientist 3". Count me in !

Anonymous said...

"evil arrogant scientist" I like that! A much better title than "Scientist 3". Count me in !

July 6, 2015 at 5:34 PM

Whatever, I cannot stand any level scientists with their arrogant attitudes, and
"I am so smart" remarks. There is a reason you got beat up in grade school and it is the same reason that the lab contract was changed. You people deserve the beatings you have taken and then some. Vic Reis was dam right about you people. I have no idea who Vic Reis is or what he really said but if he said something bad about LANL or scientists than he is a-ok by my book and I will keep quoting him till the end of times. Dam all of you scientists...dam you all too hell!!!

Anonymous said...

Dam all of you scientists...dam you all too hell!!!

July 6, 2015 at 10:17 PM

Why don't you just come out and say what you really think?

Anonymous said...



Why don't you just come out and say what you really think?

July 9, 2015 at 8:45 AM

I have a facebook page, a twitter account, and a beard. I do not have fancy degree that makes me an idiot. I move product and I am relevant. Who are you?

Anonymous said...

10:49 sounds like Santa.

Anonymous said...

10:49's comment has a typo. He left the word "and" out of the second sentence.

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