Further evidence that Hanford site workers are getting closer to processing tank waste for disposal? Their new work accessories. 

Workers at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant have begun to wear radiological dosimeters during their shifts, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management. The small devices measure radiation exposure as workers move throughout the plant. 

Workers also have added new contamination and radiation signage in the Low-Activity Waste Facility at the plant to help workers become familiar with the change in operations. Meanwhile, the plant’s radiological controls team has created new programs to help workers develop proficiency in radiation safety through weekly computer-based and hands-on learning simulations. 

The plant is anticipated to start processing waste via vitrification, or immobilizing it in glass, later this year. That processed waste will then be placed in containers and stored in a specially-designed landfill on the Hanford site.