RICHLAND, Wash. – EM’s Richland Operations Office contractor Mission Support Alliance (MSA) recently developed and launched a new training platform that shares lessons learned, company policies, procedure changes and other essential information with all workers.

   The new platform establishes a single, site-wide required reading program — an important requirement for conduct of operations and other aspects of training — for the estimated 5,500 contractors at the Hanford Site, replacing several duplicate processes, significantly improving functionality and potentially saving thousands of dollars.

   Site-wide standardization eliminates the need for maintenance of multiple programs. The new automated application reduces the workload of required reading coordinators and the need for retraining as companies and employees change over time.

   MSA, which is responsible for innovating and fielding programs and processes for use by all site contractors, collaborated with site contractors Washington River Protection Services (WRPS) and CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CH2M) to develop an improved software application to deliver and track required assignments. The application manages those assignments, primarily reading but could include other types of training, for MSA, CH2M, WRPS and Wastren employees and their subcontractors. It also sends out automatic notifications, tracks completion of assignments and generates assignment completion records.

   “This collaboration was important because it merged multiple file types and included hyperlinks to specific reference materials,” said Scott Boynton, MSA’s contingency operations director. “This feature was key in making the new application simple and flexible.” 

   “Working with the MSA team has been a pleasure,” said Deborah Smuck-Houck, senior tech advisor for WRPS. “The team’s professional, patient and inclusive method in creating the application has been the cornerstone of its success. This new application allows for a consistent approach for the contractors to implement DOE’s Conduct of Operations.”

   Other benefits of the application include simplifying the creation and management of predefined required reading assignment groups; providing automated notifications of assignments and status to employees and management; and creating customized reports and formal electronic records for the Integrated Document Management System.