Stop Work Order Issued for Some Hanford Work

RICHLAND (AP) — An employee at the Hanford nuclear reservation stopped some work at the radioactive waste tank farms Monday afternoon over beryllium controls.

The Tri-City Herald reports work resumed Tuesday after managers met with the employee to discuss concerns.

The order stopped all activities requiring beryllium controls or intrusive work in the tank farms.

Hanford has a program to control exposure to beryllium, and a worker questioned whether the program was appropriately implemented at the tank farms by contractor Washington River Protection Solutions.

Beryllium is a metal that can cause an incurable respiratory illness in susceptible workers who breathe in fine particles.

The company allows a stop work order to be lifted if a manager and employee can reach agreement.