Lean Six Sigma Tools for a Glovebox Glove Integrity Program

Abstract

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Plutonium Facility involve working with various amounts of plutonium, uranium, and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces, airborne contamination, and excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone are prevented through use of a variety of gloveboxes. Evaluation of the glovebox configuration shows that the glovebox gloves are the most vulnerable part of this engineering control. Recognizing this vulnerability, the Glovebox Glove Integrity Program was developed to minimize or prevent glovebox glove events, namely, loss of confinement of the glovebox through an unplanned opening in the glovebox glove. In addition, LANL established the Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma business practices (LSS) program to effectively improve administrative and engineering controls and work processes. The LSS tools were developed to analyze, optimize, and manage glovebox glove process performance with meaningful data. This includes identifying process scope and ownership and measuring performance. This paper discusses LSS tools, provides examples of LSS tools, and shows how managers use the results to make decisions. This effort contributes to LANL Continuous Improvement Program by providing information that improves the efficiency, cost effectiveness, and formality of glovebox operations.