The IG of the Energy Department has said that it did not substantiate a complaint it received regarding safety conditions at the department’s Y-12 complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
It said the complaint alleged that supervisors and managers there sometimes encourage employees to ignore safety regulations or even commit acts known to be in violation of standard safety protocols, and that it is a common practice to not report injuries due to fear of reprisal from management.
“We were unable to substantiate the allegations. Nothing came to our attention to indicate Y-12’s safety and health programs do not provide reasonable assurance that concerns will be reported and addressed as required,” the IG said.
It added that Y-12 “has multiple mechanisms available for employees to report safety concerns,” including line management, an employee concerns program, onsite union representatives, and onsite facility representatives.
“In addition, we were informed by employees that they are able to call a safety pause if they have concerns about an activity and feel free to do so without reprisal. Employees also informed us that they generally feel free to report injuries without reprisal,” it said.
