R&D Safety Analysis: Peer Review

1. R&D Safety Analysis:Peer Review James Stine Los Alamos National Laboratory ISM Best Practices Workshop Aurora, Colorado September 12-13, 2006

2. Presentation Outline • Primary Lesson Learned • Review of the Accident. • Lessons Learned. • Communication

3. Define scope of work Lessons learned Analyze hazards 5 Perform work Develop/ implement controls Primary Lesson Learned • DX-2 met IWM standards as defined by the Laboratory. • Wrote “quality” Integrated Work Document (IWD). • Sit-down review • Involved all of the workers including students • However, this was still insufficient to protect DX-2 workers. • The IWD is the starting point of the critical safety analysis – not the end

4. Accident Background • Two workers were performing an organic synthesis of a non-energetic material from a literature preparation. • There was an unexpected violent reaction causing glass cuts to both workers. • Both workers were wearing safety glasses with side shields protecting their eyes from injury.

5. Cl-+NHNH2 Cl-+NHNH2 N NaNO2 NH2 N Na2CO3 H2N H2N N3 NHNH2 HCl, 0ºC N N Δ NH2 Expected Synthesis Reaction • Workers trusted literature preparation from peer-reviewed journal article. • Although intermediate was energetic, final product was inert. • Side reaction product and intermediate were energetic. Desired inert product • Inert • Energetic

6. Cl-+NHNH2 Cl-+NHNH2 N NaNO2 NH2 N Na2CO3 H2N H2N N3 NHNH2 HCl, 0ºC N N Δ Cl-+NHNH2 NH2 N N3 N3 N3 N N N H Unexpected Side Reaction • However, literature preparation made no mention of: • Side reaction product and intermediate were highly energetic. Desired inert product • Inert • Energetic Energetic side product

7. Corrective Actions: Peer Review • Implemented Peer Review with laboratory notebook documentation. • Researcher can address specific reaction. • Peer reviewer performs a critical safety analysis of immediate, specific activities. • Reviewers are knowledgeable peers. • Peer Reviewer addresses reaction, associated hazards, mitigation, and stop/hold points. • Safety analysis documented in laboratory notebook.

8. Lessons Learned The IWD is only the starting point of critical safety analysis No IWD can possibly assess details of this type of operation – it can only define the scope and safety envelope. Critical analysis must be continually applied during planning and performing the work at hand.

9. Additional Corrective Actions • Additional controls. • Improved shielding. • Additional and improved PPE. • Started Advanced Energetic Materials Working Group whose primary focus is on safety. • Comprises workers throughout Lab in synthesis and composite energetic materials. • Meets regularly to talk about work activities, lessons learned, PPE, etc. This Group augments peer review. • Investigating other safety improvements. • Remote manipulators. • Real time spectroscopic analysis.

10. Could Other Operations at LANL be Similar • Symptoms that may flag opportunities for safety improvement. • Is the IWD perceived as all you need to initiate work? • Is the worker focus on the paperwork? • Is your pre-job briefing primarily centered around the science? • Is your Plan Of The Week just a scheduling exercise? • Are assumptions being made about where the hazards are? • Should there be stop/hold points in the operation? • Are such things as literature preparations, SME, etc critically assessed for safety? • Do workers tend to “add contingency” so that new operations can be performed under an existing IWD?

11. Enhancing Critical Safety Analysis • Peer review with notebook documentation is working for chemical synthesis operations. • However, the critical safety analysis can be achieved for other operations. • Checklists, batch sheets, run sheets may be better suited to document review for other operations. • Must be graded to the breadth and consequences of error of the IWD. • Concept applied to a wide variety of operations: synthesis to firing site. • Created “Peer Review” course to train Peer Reviewers • Formalized process. • Part of course is to do analysis.

12. Added Benefits • Critical analysis enhances safety for your work activities. • Engages the workers. • Embedded in the way work is done. • An integral part of daily operations. • Broadens and hones critical analysis skills in workers. • Applies scientist’s analysis skills to safety too. • On the path to changing behaviors and safety culture.

13. Communication • Lessons learned communicated: • Members of the Group • Associate Directors • LANL Director • LASO • Students • Lessons learned workshops