PPPO Contractor Earns National Safety Award for Exemplifying Safety Culture at Paducah Site
The Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office contractor at the Paducah Site earned the National Safety Council’s Million Work Hours Award after surpassing one million hours without a lost-time injury.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Sep 11, 2025
The Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) deactivation and remediation contractor at the Paducah Site has received the Million Work Hours Award from the National Safety Council in recognition of outstanding safety performance on some of the site’s most complex tasks.
The award honors teams that have worked a million or more hours without a lost-time accident. It underscores the contractor’s commitment to a safety culture where rigorous protocols, employee engagement, and continuous improvement are foundational. Efforts include thorough hazard identification, frequent safety training, and strong leadership emphasis on worker well-being.
“Safety isn’t just an objective; it’s part of our everyday DNA,” said PPPO leadership in a statement. “This recognition demonstrates what our workforce can achieve when every individual prioritizes safety—for themselves and for each other.”
Under pressure from challenging remediation and deactivation work, Paducah’s contractor team has maintained focus on integrating safety into all phases of work — planning, execution, oversight, and correction. The award marks a milestone not only in hours worked but in setting a benchmark for safety practices in high‐hazard environments.
The PPPO continues to push ahead with additional safety goals, aiming to replicate this achievement site-wide and strengthen protections for all personnel.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco brings a strong and varied journalism background to her role at Occupational Health & Safety, having previously served as a multimedia editor, broadcast journalist, professor and reviewer across major news organizations. As Content Editor, she writes news and feature articles, hosts sponsor and editorial webinars, co-hosts the SafetyPod worker health and safety podcast, and manages the brand’s digital and social media presence. She is committed to informing and engaging the safety community through compelling reporting and conversations that support safer, healthier workplaces.