September 8, 2025
Stored energy
Energy remaining in machines and equipment after shutdown can expose workers to risk during maintenance or servicing. If not properly controlled, this energy can lead to serious injuries or fatalities (SIFs).Before starting work, consider potential sources of stored energy that may include:Mechanica
September 2, 2025
Being observant
Distractions make it easy to miss important details and potential hazards that can negatively impact safety. As our focus decreases, the chances of being injured increases. Have you tripped over or struck against something you did not see? Have you been startled by someone you didn’t know was in you
September 2, 2025
Training improvements
As evidence of our strong Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS), your feedback is helping to improve training efficiency and quality. In response to this feedback, UCOR Training is working closely with Training Position Description (TPD) owners to streamline required reading assignments. To ens
July 29, 2025
Cyber Awareness Minute
To the UCOR workforce:As part of our ongoing commitment to cybersecurity and operational integrity, we want to remind everyone of the following important policy:Employees are not permitted to develop applications, write code, or install unapproved software or tools on company-owned devices.All reque
July 21, 2025
Life jackets
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 556 boating fatalities and 2,170 non-fatal injuries occurred nationwide in 2024. The most common vessels involved in these reported incidents were open motorboats, personal watercraft, and cabin motorboats. Where vessel type was known, those with the highest percen
July 18, 2025
All Hands Meeting Q and As
Click here to read the questions and answers from the All-Hands Meeting held on July 14, 2025.
July 17, 2025
You can submit questions in advance of Monday’s all hands meeting
If you would like to submit a question in advance of the all hands meeting being held Monday, you may submit it by clicking here. All questions are anonymous and untracked. The link will also be available via a QR code at the meeting.
July 14, 2025
Organizational Change
Sam Dolynchuk will be moving into the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) for UCOR later this year, replacing Pat Timbes, who is taking a new role within Amentum. Sam currently serves as Performance Optimization Director. In her new role, she will continue the effort to ensure seamless integration
July 14, 2025
Tick bite prevention
During 2025, 12 members of the UCOR workforce have reported finding ticks embedded in their skin (sometimes several ticks on one individual). This marks a notable increase from the two incidents that were reported in 2024. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, the populations of six medic
July 8, 2025
A message from Ken
To the UCOR Workforce:Recently, we lost a member of the UCOR family—Cheryl Jeffers. A few weeks ago, Cheryl collapsed in the field unexpectedly and was rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, she did not recover. Cheryl was an integral member to our cleanup mission at ORNL. I would like to offer my c
July 7, 2025
Beware of Fake Amazon Sites & Phishing Scams
To the UCOR workforce:With Amazon Prime Day running from July 8–11, scammers are on high alert—and we should be, too. Over 1,000 new fake Amazon‑themed domains were registered in June alone, and 87% have already been flagged as malicious or suspicious, aiming to trick shoppers into giving up login c
July 7, 2025
Quarter 3 personal safety initiative plans
Focusing on goals, setting intentions, and acting with purpose to keep ourselves and coworkers safe are among the best things we can do to positively influence the safety of our workplace and beyond. UCOR encourages you to show commitment to your personal health and safety as well as that of your fa
June 30, 2025
Mission Ready Safety Bulletin: Fireworks
Each year, thousands of people are injured badly enough to require medical treatment after fireworks-related incidents. Even less powerful devices like small firecrackers and sparklers can cause significant injuries.Sparklers can ignite clothing and cause severe burns. According to the National Safe
June 26, 2025
Cyber Awareness Minute: fake support phone numbers
A new scam tactic known as Search Parameter Injection Attacks has recently affected major brands like Netflix, Microsoft, Bank of America, Apple, Facebook, PayPal, and HP.What is happening:Scammers buy search ads that look legitimate (e.g., “Netflix Support”).These links lead you to the real website
June 24, 2025
Sunscreen
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, sunscreen is an important part of a complete sun protection strategy. They recommend that men, women, and children over six months of age use sunscreen every day. This includes people that tan easily, as damage by sun exposure happens over a lifetime, whether
June 24, 2025
A message from Ken
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Terrorism Advisory System has determined that our country is currently in a “heightened threat environment,” with a persistent and lethal threat from domestic violent extremists and those associated with foreign terrorist organizations. Details on
June 17, 2025
Safety Bulletin: Vehicle Speeding
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding caused nearly one-third of the 42,000 vehicle-related fatalities which occurred in 2022. About 87 percent of these speeding-related traffic fatalities occurred on non-interstate roads and streets.People often speed because the
June 9, 2025
Safety Bulletin: Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when your body’s water content becomes low… It can happen when you don’t drink enough and lose fluids due to sweating in hot humid weather and/or during physical activity. Certain medicines such as diuretics and medical conditions like diarrhea, vomiting, and uncontrolled diabetes
June 4, 2025
Safety Bulletin: Reporting tick bites
If you suspect that a tick bite could be work-related, contact your supervisor and call UCOR Health Services at 865-574-8562 immediately after finding and removing the tick—even after work hours and on weekends. The health care professional who performs your telehealth evaluation will determine if f
May 29, 2025
All materials within a Classified Subject Area must be reviewed
DOE O 475.2B, Identifying Classified Information, requires UCOR to perform classification reviews on all documents and material within a Classified Subject Area (CSA). A CSA is simply defined as any area in which classification guidance is written. Even information that is unclassified within a CSA