Facility Representative Program

The purpose of the DOE Facility Representative Program is to ensure that competent DOE staff personnel are assigned to oversee day to day contractor operations at DOE’s most hazardous nuclear and non-nuclear facilities. Oversight performed by Facility Representatives provides DOE line managers with accurate objective information on the effectiveness of contractor work performance and practices, including implementation of the integrated safety management system. The Department’s experience has shown that when personnel are dedicated to this function, the information that they provide can be used proactively to ensure that work is completed in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.  
 

To be selected as a DOE Facility Representative at the West Valley Demonstration Project, the individual must have a keen oversight instinct, a willingness to spend long hours in the field, plus a combination of education and nuclear facility experience. The DOE West Valley Demonstration Project Director qualifies each Facility Representative candidate by a combination of education, experience, and training to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the position. Facility Representatives are required to meet stringent and comprehensive qualification standards.

 

The DOE West Valley Demonstration Project Director qualifies Facility Representatives as possessing a broad technical knowledge in a variety of disciplines and being able to demonstrate an understanding of the management, processes, practices, regulatory requirements, and operating limits of their assigned facilities. 
 

There are two fully-qualified DOE West Valley Demonstration Project Facility Representatives who are responsible for determining that the contractor is operating the site facilities in a safe and efficient manner, consistent with the established safety expectations and requirements. To become fully-qualified, Facility Representatives undergo a rigorous training and qualification process that includes self-study and formal course studies and culminates with testing by facility walkthroughs, comprehensive written examinations, and oral board examinations. Facility Representatives are required to maintain satisfactory job performance to retain qualification.
 

Each of the DOE West Valley Demonstration Project Facility Representatives observes, evaluates, and reports on the effectiveness of the operating contractor in multiple areas important to safe, efficient operations, such as operational performance, quality assurance, management controls, emergency response readiness activities, and assurance of worker health and safety.

 

Typical daily Facility Representative activities include observing shift turnovers and work evolutions, maintaining frequent communication with field personnel, attending engineering and operations status meetings, briefing DOE senior management of current facility conditions, and performing walkthroughs and assessments.