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Envirocon was awarded an excavation and grading project located near Depue, Illinois. The project was conducted under the client’s loss prevention system (LPS), behavior-based safety (BBS) program. All employees and subcontractors were required to have LPS training prior to working on site.
The scope of work included the return water channel (RWC) excavation and closure and regrading of the Southeast Pond (SEP) area. The work consisted of excavation and removal of approximately 55,000 cubic yards of phosphogypsum (gypsum) containing sediments and soils from the former RWC area located west of the Clearwater Pond. All sediments and soils containing gypsum were dewatered in-place and disposed in the SEP Area to meet regrading specifications. Approximately 63,000 cubic yards of cover soil was excavated from the RWC and used as a 12-inch cap over the gypsum within the gypstack.
Closure and regrading of the SEP Area included placement of dewatered gypsum sediments removed from the RWC, and the cut and placement of approximately 325,000 cubic yards of gypsum already located within the gypstack area. Once gypsum grading was complete, 12 inches of cover soil was placed over the regraded gypsum for vegetation.
Other specific tasks included construction of diversion swales, stormwater and erosion control, outside gypstack grading and cover, and toe-ditch cleanout and cover. Stormwater and erosion controls were constructed around the perimeter of the gypstack to prevent runoff into clean areas. Diversion swales were constructed within the gypstack area to divert stormwater to the toe ditches. Outside of the gypstack area was regraded and covered with 12 inches of cover soil for drainage and vegetation.
The BBS methods that Envirocon uses were incorporated into the LPS promoted by the client at this site. Types of principles that are included in the BBS program are daily crew planning and feedback methods to involve employee and management in the preparation of job safety analyses (JSAs), and crew activity plans (CAPs). Processes for hazard identification and timely correction are implemented through loss prevention observations (LPO), and JSAs that call upon the active participation of safety and operations management, field supervisors, and work-force employees. The LPOs provide metrics for questionable behavior analysis and LPS trending analysis reports that target appropriate identification of at-risk behaviors and provide focus for further LPOs.
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