Y-12 Blog
An Alarm Response Training instructor helps facilitate distance Alarm Response Training, or dART, to Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center during a class.
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Office of Radiological Security (ORS) Alarm Response Training provides participants comprehensive training to understand and protect radioactive and nuclear materials in civilian facilities, like hospitals and research institutions. The specialized training is conducted at Y-12 and prepares participants to return to their work locations better equipped to handle the potential threat of radioactive and nuclear theft by applying training objectives.
As successful programs continuously improve, the ART team wanted to go the next step and develop innovative strategies to maintain relationships with sites that had previously attended classes. Distance learning was one of those suggested tools, so dART — distance Alarm Response Training — was born.
Program Manager Dan Romano said, “We were already researching distance learning when COVID-19 hit and caused a travel ban. But with the pandemic and lack of travel, it became more important for us [NNSA’s Office of Radiological Security and Y-12] to remain engaged with ART alumni sites and present awareness concepts to sites that yet had attended ART.
“The pandemic brought an unexpected shift in our nation’s situation, and the ART staff looked at this challenge and developed, demonstrated, and ultimately executed dART in about two months,” Romano said.
Thanks to the group’s dedication and teamwork, dART classes offer previous ART trainees, and those wanting to learn how to protect radioactive and nuclear materials, continued engagement and awareness.
“We have held three dART classes so far. Attendees were the University of Arkansas Medical Center, North Carolina State University, and most recently Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center,” Romano said. “Our week long ART sessions will return once our nation returns to pre-covid status, but dART will remain as an integral component. We plan to hold at least two dART courses each month.”
With the creation of dART a new partnership was developed with Roane State Community College. “We store our asynchronous materials on Roane State’s Learning Management System, and we conduct our instruction at the Oak Ridge facility,” he said.
dART offers a condensed version of ART and covers all ART learning objectives (minus the drills), but instructs at a lower order (less intense) of learning — this works as both a refresher for previous ART attendees and radiological security awareness for those yet to attend. dART also offers partner sites the option to “customize” according to their needs.
Since 2009, Y-12’s ART has conducted more than 200 classes for almost 7,000 participants from 48 states and 19 countries. Last April, Y-12 celebrated its 10th anniversary and is a program developed and maintained through NNSA’s Office of Radiological Security.
Due to support from the CNS Community Investment Fund, Keystone can still provide for their participants at home.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 5 million adults in the United States, at least 65 years old, suffer from dementia. In spite of its life-altering affects, the Keystone Adult Day Program is active against the disease. For 32 years, the program has dedicated itself to provide support for caregivers and individuals living with dementia. While there isn’t a cure for dementia, maintaining social connection and activity has been found to reduce the symptoms and isolation felt by the disease.
One of the core missions of the program is to provide purposeful and meaningful activities and engagement for those living with dementia. Based on the Y-12 Community Investment Fund’s contribution of $3,000, the program was able to deliver their mission, help fund activities, and impact its individuals before and during COVID-19.
“Pre-pandemic, we utilized grant funds for a variety of activities which routinely encompass a participant’s day at Keystone,” said Phyllis Spangler, executive director of Keystone Adult Day Program. “Engaging participants in a full range of activities drives our daily schedule. From the moment the first participant arrives until the last participant has departed, activities are generated and sustained. This engagement helps decrease anxiety and agitation and helps promote a sense of wellbeing and security. Additionally, when participants return home after a full, active day, they are tired and routinely sleep better, which is significantly helpful for their caregivers.”
Before the pandemic, in-person activities for the participants ranged from cooking projects, arts and crafts, weekly music therapy, visits with dogs through the University of Tennessee’s Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee program, seated exercise, games, music, singing, and hosting special programs for individuals in the Oak Ridge community. As a part of the special programs, Y-12’s Day of Volunteering event partnered with Keystone in October 2018 and gave employees the chance to meet participants and experience the program in a Hawaiian-themed event.
“We played games, painted, and enjoyed the party,” said Ashley Harris, Y-12 Communications. “The smiles on the participants’ faces were priceless. I know the Y-12 volunteers enjoyed the day just as much as the participants did, it felt very much like a family.”
However, as events postponed and facilities closed around the nation in precaution of COVID-19, Keystone was also forced to restructure their community and concerns.
“Once we closed our door in mid-March, our primary concern was the wellbeing of those we serve, given their pursuant isolation,” said Anne Leitnaker, administrative assistant at Keystone. “The task of caring for someone living with dementia is a 24/7 proposition. Our caregivers were suddenly without the relief our program provided and our participants found themselves without the social connection, engagement, meaning, and purpose that being a part of the Keystone community offered.”
With a need and drive to sustain the Keystone community’s activities and keep safety measures in place, Keystone’s staff used their creativity to package at-home activity totes. Keystone activity director, Alex Sands, worked with staff to generate ideas for the totes and carefully customized items in the kit for each participant’s level of functioning and interests. Each activity is individually bagged and includes supplies and instructions to make it easy for both the participant and caregiver.
“We are dedicated to preserving the lifeline we extend to those we serve and to remain in relationship with them. We are also developing ways to connect virtually with our population and will be using activities in that venue as well,” Spangler said.
As a resource, the Keystone Adult Day Program is also able to offer subject matter expertise on dementia and reach beyond their walls. In support of the local community, Keystone will begin offering generic totes to provide for the local population living with dementia.
“We want our participants and caregivers to know how much we care for them and long for the day when we can reopen our doors and welcome them back. Maintaining this connection is vital to the future of our program,” Leitnaker said.
By working with the East Tennessee Foundation, the Y-12 Community Investment Fund has provided opportunities for employees to award grants benefiting nonprofit organizations like the Keystone Adult Day Program in its 20-county service area.
Y-12 employee, Ashley Harris, volunteers at the Keystone Adult Day Program on the 2018 Day of Volunteering. (Photo taken before the COVID‑19 pandemic.)
Keystone Adult Day program participants enjoying the Hawaiian-themed event on the 2018 Y-12 Day of Volunteering. (Photo taken before the COVID‑19 pandemic.)
Care companion, Sharon McFadden, and activity director Alex Sands work on the contents of the bags for the at-home packages.
Keystone executive director, Phyllis Spangler, gives a Keystone Activity tote to participant, Rob, while his wife Lynne looks on.
Y-12 continued vital projects throughout the COVID-19 response thanks to planning and teamwork. To ensure projects remained on track and on time, team members took that strong plan and coupled it with adherence to essential health and safety protocols.
One important project that continued was construction and refurbishing of two firing ranges at the Central Training Facility (CTF). The project experienced many delays because of existing site conditions during excavation of a hillside in the affected area. As the COVID-19 response was implemented, the project was allowed to continue because the outside work allowed for social distancing. The team put other safety measures in place to protect CTF and the contractor.
Angela Oberding, project manager, said, “The ability to continue the work allowed the project to complete two major components – the creek diversion and excavation of the hillside.”
The pandemic also affected the Calciner project, where equipment is being installed for the purpose of converting salvaged and impure solutions, like rinse water, mop water, decontamination water, and lab and production by-products that contain uranium, into a powder that is more manageable, stable, and easier to store and transport. Completion of this project will reduce the amount of legacy solutions that are stored.
“Working with our NNSA customer, deliverables were identified early, giving the team time to react if changes were necessary,” Matthew Manrod, project manager, said. “Through the hard work of the CNS and federal project team, we were able to obtain CD-2/3 approval on May 29, authorizing full execution of the project.”
The project team quickly and smoothly adopted teleworking and implemented a daily meeting with core team members over Skype to discuss each day’s priorities and issues.
These projects are only two examples of what the Y-12 team was accomplishing — some via telework and many on-site — as the site’s operational status changed.
As the COVID-19 response was implemented, construction and refurbishing of two firing ranges at the Central Training Facility project continued.
More than 1,400 employees are members of the Atomic Trades and Labor Council. Without these dedicated workers, Y-12 would have difficulty meeting its mission.
Y-12 Site Manager Bill Tindal said, “It may be that I am missing sports more than usual due to COVID, but our ATLC members are the skilled players on the field. We’ve got a lot of coaches, strategists, equipment folks, and other support functions. And, it’s important that all act as an integrated organization, but, when it comes right down to it, it’s the skill player on the field that adds value.”
These skill players include machinists, welders, chemical operators, janitors, truck drivers, and electricians to name a few. In fact, their occupations are ones in need throughout the country. Their careers are ones that are needed now and into the future, so much so that during 2019, Y-12 visited schools to share opportunities available in trades. Educational outreach events focused on the various trades careers, and students interacted with electricians, carpenters, insulators, painters, and machinists. ATLC members share career plans and the advantages of the being an apprentice and “earn while they learn.”
Tindal said, “I am thankful for the skill and commitment shown by our ATLC colleagues. But just as important, I am thankful for the way they work with all of us to create an integrated organization.”
Mike Thompson, ATLC president, said, “Our ATLC members contribute an important piece to the end goal. Every aspect of what they do helps Y-12 function overall.”
Changing conditions aren’t new to any of us, especially now as we deal with social distancing and COVID controls. It’s an even larger change when the needed safety implementations create inconveniences: briefing areas moved, break areas reconfigured, and protocol changed for communicating with coworkers.
“Our workforce has always adjusted to changing conditions, circumstances, and requirements, and we will adjust accordingly to succeed under the current conditions,” Thompson said. “The safety slogan of being your brother’s keeper takes on additional meaning as we operate under new concerns of heightened awareness, for ourselves and each other.”
Reed Mullins, senior director of Y-12 Production Operations, said, “It is frustrating when your normal routine with your coworkers is interrupted, and I appreciate our folks who have risen to the challenge and understand that these changes are necessary. It is not fun wearing a face covering for hours, but that is currently the need.”
Mullins couldn’t resist building on Tindal’s analogy. “For us to be on the field and to play, we must wear the appropriate equipment to ensure we protect our teammates. Even with these added distractions and frustrations, we have been able to bring our processes back online and deliver our mission for the nation. I am thankful for those men and women who make this place run each day.”
Y-12’s skill players in Production Operations hold a meeting while practicing social distancing. (This photo was taken before mandatory face coverings were required while on-site.)
 Y-12 nurse Denise Howard checks an employee’s blood pressure. |
The Pantex and Y-12 Occupational Health Services departments have always had a mission to maintain and improve the safety, health, and wellness of employees in the workplace, and their work is more important now than ever before. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve proven themselves responsive, adaptable, and innovative. OHS is rising to the challenges of meeting ongoing occupational health needs with reduced staffing levels, finding ways to improve for the future, and even blazing new trails.
“I don’t think anyone in Y-12 OHS will ever forget that Monday in March when we learned we had our first case,” said Gary Hall, Y-12 OHS senior manager. “I looked around the room, and I think every single person there felt the tsunami of change coming fast our way. In hindsight, I think it was our exceptional people skills that got us through — we needed to quickly problem solve and then execute. We talked our way through the anxiety our coworkers were feeling.”
To practice proper social distancing, the Pantex and Y-12 groups alternated medical and administrative staff on site with weekly shifts. Even with reduced on site staffing levels, personnel were still able to provide fitness for duty and case management functions.
Procedures that didn’t allow for social distancing, such as audio and pulmonary function tests and physical therapy, have been paused to protect the providers and patients. For other procedures, the groups looked for new ways of meeting requirements.
Pantex and Y-12 OHS started telepsychology, or virtual psychology exams. With the employee in one room and the psychologist in another room, they connect via Skype. The simple solution was a first in the Nuclear Security Enterprise. OHS hopes to soon allow psychologists to offer this service while teleworking from home to further reduce the amount of clinical staff on-site.
Pantex has also changed procedures for alcohol testing. To reduce use of breathalyzer tests and protect Fire Department personnel administering the test, employees called in to work off-shifts now receive saliva testing as a pre-screening and breath alcohol tests only following a positive saliva test.
In addition to providing ongoing health support to the plants, both OHS departments played a major role in the sites’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Site Operational Medical Directors Dr. Michael Paston and Dr. Warren Sayre helped develop policies and procedures to protect on site employees and prepare for when the workforce returns during the three stages of the recovery plan.
“We are functioning like our own public health department. The case management staff, led by nurse Melva Davis, is perfecting contact tracing, and we are coordinating with the Amarillo Public Health Department,” said Paston.
Don Morris, Pantex OHS senior manager, said the situation has also encouraged the team to identify opportunities for improvement in other internal processes.
“In some ways, I don’t think we will ever go back to the way we used to do business,” Morris said.
The continuous improvement demonstrated by OHS has not only helped reduce the spread of COVID-19 at both sites but also will further improve the quality of service provided in the future.
Dr. Mark Izzard conducts a telepsychology session from his office at Pantex.