Tooele Transcript Bulletin
May 7, 2002

Motives suspect

Editor:

Recently, there has been a lot of media coverage of a "Whistle-Blower" who works for EG&G who is exercising her right to Freedom of Speech. As a citizen who happens to
work for EG&G, I too would like to exercise my right. This individual has made several
accusations including mismanagement, failure to follow procedures and low morale.

I have been with EG&G for over six years now, and dealing with chemical weapons for
over 16 years. In that time, I have had the opportunity to work with several government
contractors (not just EG&G). While EG&G management may not be perfect, they are
among the best out there. Like every other corporation in America, EG&G's goal is to be profitable. In order to achieve that goal, they must bid for and be awarded contracts. After
winning the contract, it must be successfully executed. If it is not, their chances of winning
other contracts drop dramatically.

There are several factors that play into the success of a contract. First and foremost is
safety. EG&G has stressed this throughout its existence at the Tooele Chemical
Demilitarization Facility (TOCDF). If you compare EG&G's injury rate to that of similar
industrial operations throughout the U.S., you will find that EG&G is well below the
national average. The management's commitment to safety was recently seen after a string
of minor injuries. A safety stand down was conducted to give employees a chance to review procedures and voice concerns about operations. There were several issues raised,
none of which concerned the pace of work prior to the Olympics. Management has made
resolving these issues a top priority.

There were also allegations that a $750 bonus was offered to ensure completion of the then
current campaign prior to the Olympics. While the bonus was offered, it was tied to more
than just the completion of the campaign. Management stressed (when the bonus was
offered) that the injury rate must remain low and all procedures must be followed. During the time period between the bonus offer and the Olympics, there were multiple projects
that were unique and required an Olympic-sized effort to complete. New procedures had
to be developed and implemented for these projects because of their uniqueness. This is a
drawn-out process that must be safely accomplished in order for the project to be
successful. There were many people who put forth a great deal of time and effort in order
to accomplish this mission.

During this time period, the injury rate remained low despite the number of hours being
worked. This can be directly attributed to the quality of the workforce at TOCDF. Due to
delays caused by factors not attributed to personnel performance, it was obvious we were not going to finish the campaign before the Olympics. Management realized this weeks
before the deadline and decided that because of the level of performance of the employees,
the bonus would still be given. This fact by itself proves that the bonus was not intended to
make employees take shortcuts or bypass procedures to accomplish the mission before the
Olympics.

If procedures were bypassed, it was because of select individuals, not direction from
management. Procedures at TOCDF are a way of life. TOCDF is regulated directly by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Army Program Manager for Chemical
Demilitarization and Army regulations, to name a few. Additionally, we regulate ourselves
with our own safety, environmental and quality management oversight departments. We
are inspected regularly by the above agencies as well as the National Research Council and
the Department of Army Inspector General. Our procedures are written to ensure we, as a
workforce, comply with all of the regulations set forth by the above agencies as well as OSHA regulations.

In essence, if a procedure is followed, the task is completed safely and in compliance with
all of our regulatory guidelines. Although our procedures are constantly being updated as
the regulations and the process of operation changes they are not always 100 percent accurate. Sometimes mistakes are made, equipment is defective or a previously unidentified condition exists that results in an upset or abnormal condition at TOCDF. EG&G constantly spends time and effort in identifying these upset or abnormal conditions so that corrective actions can be implemented to ensure the problem is corrected and not repeated.

As for the morale issue, there is no clear method of measuring morale. What I can say
about it is this: If EG&G is such a bad company and an unsafe place to work, why is the
"whistle-blower" still working here? If the "whistle- blower" is as safety conscious as she
appears, then why doesn't she participate in the Employee Safety Committee? The actions taken by this individual do nothing to better the conditions for all employees. In my
opinion, she is doing nothing but furthering her own cause. As most people know who
have been at TOCDF, this is not the first "whistle-blower" complaint from this individual.
She, along with a few others, were dismissed after they forged official government documents.

After losing her job, she became safety conscious and decided to "blow the whistle." Now,
a few years later and after being disciplined because of refusing to wear the required personal protective equipment, the "whistle-blower" strikes again. I do not know what the
consequences of her actions were. But I do know the timing sure is peculiar.

Where were these accusations before the Olympics during the dangerous conditions that supposedly existed? If she is on the moral high horse that she appears to be riding, what
did she do with her bonus? Every EG&G (at TOCDF) employee's job security is
jeopardized by these actions. If employee's like the "whistle-blower," as well as those at
her level that agree with her, would raise safety concerns internally as they arise (not after the fact directly to the media), then we all would enjoy a safer workplace that could extend
past the closure of TOCDF while creating a safer environment.

Thomas Duffield
Safety Technologist
Stansbury Park