Hydro Plant Industrial Hygiene

The Office of the Inspector General determined the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) industrial hygiene (IH) planning and assessment process had weaknesses that resulted in some hazards not being identified and evaluated. Specifically, we identified the following IH process weaknesses: (1) TVA relied on limited information to identify health hazards; (2) there was no formal evaluation of the risks posed by identified hazards; (3) IH plans did not prioritize hazards; and (4) incomplete monitoring efforts allowed misalignment between procedures, plans, and exposure assessments. We also determined TVA took appropriate actions to address adverse conditions, which were identified during assessments at hydro plants; however, TVA did not maintain employee notification records as required by internal procedures. In addition, we identified opportunities for improvement related to clarifying responsibilities for notification and monitoring of contractor actions taken to address IH recommendations.