POWER May 2012 - 26

a third-party construction quality assurance (CQA) firm to ensure
that construction and environmental controls met the strict
environmental provisions set by the jurisdictional agencies, the
Airport, Progress Energy, and Charah.
The first construction steps were to clear, grub, and excavate existing
soils and establish the design subgrade surface. Next, Charah
began installing the bottom liner and drainage collection systems.
Afterward, decanted CCPs were hauled by tri-axle dump trucks
equipped with tarped beds from Progress Energy's Asheville Plant.
Charah utilized dozers to spread the CCPs in uniform even lifts
to meet the specified elevation tolerance of ±0.25 feet. Compaction
of the CCP material was achieved using a vibratory smooth
drum roller making passes as needed to achieve the compaction
requirement of 95%, based on the modified Proctor compaction
test. Compaction was confirmed as part of the CQA program.
Development of the project will require nearly 2 million cubic
yards of CCPs to establish the rough grade elevations across the
site. The use of CCPs as an alternative to traditional fill materials
(such as soil and rock) provided the airport with an environmentally
safe and economically valuable opportunity. Cost savings
to the airport from using CCPs instead of conventional fill are
estimated at nearly $16 million dollars.
As Bleiweis explained, " The partnership between the Airport,
Progress Energy, and Charah was beneficial for all of us.
Progress Energy found an environmentally sound and economically
prudent way to reuse the coal combustion by-product, and
the Airport saved millions of dollars in costs that traditional fill
methods would have required. "
Charles Price, Charah's president and CEO, said that " the
uniqueness of this project not only lies in the site's characteristics
and design, but also in the partnership between the Airport,
Progress Energy, and Charah. The [Westside Project] is a great
example of how CCP engineered fills should be constructed. "
The project, expected to be completed in 2014, will ultimately
create more than 15 acres of aeronautical land use.
-Contributed by Bobby Raia (braia@charah.com), project controls
manager for Charah Inc.
What Are the Safety Rules for Anyway?
It's quite simple: Following safety rules is the foundation to eliminating
injuries. Commonly, a safety presenter will say that safety
rules are " written in blood. " At one time, such dramatic statements
were a way to get attention and illustrated the seriousness of following
safety rules. Today, more highly educated workers demand
less drama and more facts. Let's face it, safety rules are in place
because hazards exist and people were injured. Whether the site is
a coal-fired, gas-fired, or a nuclear power plant, hazards are part
of the work and must be controlled to prevent injury.
The General Duty Clause of the U.S. Occupational Safety and
Health Act holds employers responsible for providing employees
with a workplace free from recognized hazards, and employees
are required to follow the rules that protect them from the hazards.
To create a safe workplace, employers and employees must
be able to recognize, evaluate, and control hazards in the workplace.
Empirical research of incident reports and interviews with
hundreds of workers show that employees who were injured on
the job did not " see " the hazard that injured them. Observationally,
employees and employers, operational leaders, and safety
specialists often walk by recognizable hazards without controlling
or fixing them.
For these reasons, identification of workplace hazards must
be a constant task of employers and employees who are directly
connected to the work. A formal hazard identification process en26
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POWER
| May 2012
5. Don't get hosed. A forgotten hose left in a walkway can cause
unsuspecting employees to fall and injure themselves. Courtesy: Potter
and Associates International Inc.
sures no hazard goes uncontrolled. This formal process guides the
creation of safety rules that act as controls to prevent injuries. In
the process, two types of hazards must be considered: those that
are inherent in the work (such as steam, pressure, heat, cold, and
height) and those created by performing work.
During the work, employees often pull hoses, string power
cords, wash equipment, make repairs, turn valves, and create
potentially unrecognized hazards. Such hazards are the top rea4.
Slip and slide. Floors at power plants that are covered with
grease and other oily substances, or powders, can be significant causes
of accidents. Courtesy: Potter and Associates International Inc.
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POWER May 2012

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