scholarly journals Using an Agent-Based Model to Assess K-12 School Reopenings Under Different COVID-19 Spread Scenarios – United States, School Year 2020/21

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy C. Germann ◽  
Manhong Z. Smith ◽  
Lori Dauelsberg ◽  
Geoffrey Fairchild ◽  
Terece L. Turton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
The United States ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Control And Prevention

AbstractSchool-age children play a key role in the spread of airborne viruses like influenza due to the prolonged and close contacts they have in school settings. As a result, school closures and other non-pharmaceutical interventions were recommended as the first line of defense in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Assessing school reopening scenarios is a priority for states, administrators, parents, and children in order to balance educational disparities and negative population impacts of COVID-19. To address this challenge, we used an agent-based model that simulates communities across the United States including daycares, primary, and secondary schools to quantify the relative health outcomes of reopening schools. We explored different reopening scenarios including remote learning, in-person school, and several hybrid options that stratify the student population into cohorts (also referred to as split cohort) in order to reduce exposure and disease spread. In addition, we assessed the combined impact of reduced in-person attendance in workplaces (e.g., through differing degrees of reliance on telework and/or temporary workplace closings) and school reopening scenarios to quantify the potential impact of additional transmission pathways contributing to COVID-19 spread. Scenarios where split cohorts of students return to school in non-overlapping formats resulted in significant decreases in the clinical attack rate (i.e., the percentage of symptomatic individuals), potentially by as much as 75%. These split cohort scenarios have impacts which are only modestly lesser than the most impactful 100% distance learning scenario. Split cohort scenarios can also significantly avert the number of cases–approximately 60M and 28M–depending on the scenario, at the national scale over the simulated eight-month period. We found the results of our simulations to be highly dependent on the number of workplaces assumed to be open for in-person business, as well as the initial level of COVID-19 incidence within the simulated community. Our results show that reducing the number of students attending school leads to better health outcomes, and the split cohort option enables part-time in-classroom education while substantially reducing risk. The results of this study can support decisions regarding optimal school reopening strategies that at the population level balance education and the negative health outcomes of COVID-19.DisclaimerThis work was sponsored by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Los Alamos National Laboratory, an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, is operated by Triad National Security, LLC, for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the United States Department of Energy under contract # 19FED1916814CKC. Approved for public release: LA-UR-20-27982.The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Integrated Quality Assurance Program for Transuranic Waste Management at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Balkey ◽  
L. J. Sanchez ◽  
R. E. Wieneke
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
New Mexico ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
The United States ◽  
Quality Assurance Program ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is one of two design laboratories in the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) weapons complex. It has over 60 years of experience in handling radioactive materials and, consequently, in radioactive waste management. The current focus at LANL for actinide research and development is the Plutonium Facility, which has been in operation since 1978 and is the major source of transuranic (TRU) waste. The Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) Division is responsible for operating the Plutonium Facility. It has a dedicated group of personnel who manage radioactive and hazardous waste, and address environmental regulations. The TRU Waste Certification Program has prescriptive requirements that must be met for waste to be certified by the DOE’s Carlsbad Field Office, which provides oversight to the final waste repository, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Quality assurance expectations are also well defined, from top-tier documents such as 10 Code of Federal Regulations 830.120. Quality Assurance Requirements, which carry the force of law, through CAO-94-1012, Quality Assurance Program Document, from WIPP, to LANL internal working documents. Internal and external audits are conducted regularly to verify the adequacy of the program for meeting these requirements. To ensure compliance with quality requirements in waste operations, the NMT-7 Waste Management and Environmental Compliance Group has two full-time quality assurance (QA) specialists. They are responsible for maintaining the Quality Assurance Program (QAP). They work directly with waste management personnel, and they are frequently in the field, working beside waste management technicians. They are responsible for ensuring that applicable QAP elements are implemented as required, and that waste operations are effective. They review waste management program documents and waste operations for compliance with requirements, and they observe selected waste operations regularly to ensure that these operations are being conducted in accordance with established procedures. A yearly surveillance schedule is established to guide assessment activities, but it has the flexibility to allow the QA specialists to address any problem areas they may encounter. The QA specialists track performance indicators and evaluate them for systemic issues that may affect quality, including tracking program corrective actions to completion. Monthly reports on QA activities are submitted to group managers. The QA specialists are also asked, on occasion, to lead quality-related investigations and to work with operations personnel to propose solutions. As a direct result of their efforts, the waste management group won Pin˜on quality assurance recognition from Quality New Mexico for the group’s commitment to quality.

Successful Implementation of a Behavioral Safety Program at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Balkey ◽  
J. F. Kleinsteuber ◽  
R. E. Wieneke
Keyword(s):  
National Laboratory ◽  
The United States ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Safety Program ◽  
Behavioral Safety

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is one of two design laboratories in the United States Department of Energy (DOE) weapons complex, with over 60 years of experience in handling hazardous and radioactive materials. Actinide research and development are performed in two nuclear facilities. The Plutonium Facility has been in operation since 1978, and the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR) Facility was built in 1952. The Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) Division is responsible for operating both facilities in a safe and environmentally sound manner. At these NMT Division nuclear facilities, the primary hazards that are associated with chemicals and radioactive materials are well controlled, with minimal risk to the workforce and the public. Most workforce injuries are physical or ergonomic in nature. In an effort to increase safety awareness and to decrease accidents and incidents, a program focusing on identifying and eliminating unsafe behaviors was initiated. This process is named ATOMICS (for Allowing Timely Observations Measures Increased Commitment to Safety). Workers are trained on how to conduct safety observations of one another and given guidance on specific behaviors to note. Observations are structured to have minimal impact on the workload and are shared by the entire workforce. This program has effectively decreased an already low accident rate and will make long-term sustainability possible. The behavior-based safety process engages the workforce in the implementation and utilization of their own safety initative. The process is based on the simple act of having workers observe other workers and provide feedback on safe and at-risk behaviors. Observations typically take 10 to 15 minutes. Observations are strictly conducted under the conditions that no names are used and no blame is placed. A prospective observer takes 2 days of training on how to perform observations. To date, this behavioral safety program has been effective in further reducing the low accident/injury rate for the division. Most of the division’s workforce has taken observer training, and about half of those trained perform approximately 2500 observations per year on work conducted in NMT Division nuclear facilities.

Current Implementation of the Quality Assurance Program at the United States Los Alamos National Laboratory

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taunia Van Valkenburg ◽  
Ernie F. Petru ◽  
Paula R. Diepolder ◽  
Gary M. Sandquist
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
The United States ◽  
Quality Assurance Program ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Engineering Project ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Unique Challenge ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Current Implementation

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a one of the largest and diverse science and technological institutions in the world. The size and sophistication of LANL’s facilities and workforce present a unique challenge to develop and implement a Quality Assurance (QA) program that meets LANL’s needs. LANL has updated its QA Program to a targeted, requirements-based approach, and broadened its Quality Assurance technical expertise into essential technical areas. The expanded areas of expertise include engineering, project management, nuclear facility operations, and weapons design and fabrication. This approach is achieving success as evidenced on an institutional level by LANL’s receipt of various national, international and local awards for its products and services. Success is also realized on the QA Program level with sufficient recognition of the importance of the QA Program by the LANL workforce. However, QA program challenges remain in areas of expanding the importance of QA; streamlining the grading process and ensuring the program is commensurate with risk and customer expectations; maintaining sufficient authority and freedom from line management for deployed QA personnel while continuing to increase the technical breadth of QA personnel. These are the focus areas to continuously improve the LANL QA Program.

Data Collection and Tracking of Radioactive Waste at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Balkey ◽  
R. L. Dodge ◽  
B. T. Martinez ◽  
R. E. Wieneke
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
The United States ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is one of two design laboratories in the United States Department of Energy’s weapons complex, with over 60 years of experience in handling radioactive materials, and, consequently, in managing radioactive waste. Actinide research and development is conducted at the Plutonium Facility, which has been in operation since 1978 and is the major source of radioactive waste at LANL. The Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) Division is responsible for operating the Plutonium Facility and has a dedicated group of personnel who manage radioactive and hazardous waste, and address environmental regulations. The NMT Division also oversees analytical support operations in the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Facility. Operations at these two nonreactor nuclear facilities generate a wide variety of waste that may be generally classified as sanitary, hazardous, radioactive, and mixed (both radioactive and hazardous). The expedient, cost-effective, and regulatory-compliant management of radioactive waste has been a challenging task, given the propensity for rapid change in the regulatory environment. One major asset is the availability of information on waste generation and characteristics in electronic form. To do so, the Waste Inventory Tracking system (WITS) was developed 6 years ago to collect and store this information. To record waste information in the field, technicians use handheld Palm Pilots®. These units are then docked with personal computers to transfer the data to WITS. The primary use of WITS is the automated generation of waste package data reports, which are used to demonstrate compliance with waste acceptance criteria and gain acceptance for waste disposal. The WITS data are also used to evaluate various aspects of waste generation and handling, and to track performance indicators. The WITS is a fundamental part of waste management in the NMT Division.

Treatment and Volume Reduction of Transuranic Waste at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Balkey ◽  
S. S. Ramsey ◽  
R. E. Wieneke
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
The United States ◽  
Size Reduction ◽  
Waste Minimization ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is one of two design laboratories in the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) weapons complex, with over 60 years of experience in handling radioactive materials and, consequently, in radioactive waste management. The focus for actinide research and development is the Plutonium Facility, which has been in operation since 1978. The Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) Division is responsible for operating the Plutonium Facility. It has a dedicated group of personnel who manage radioactive and hazardous waste, and address environmental regulations. Waste from operations with radioactive materials inside glovebox lines in the Plutonium Facility is packaged for disposal in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. This waste is subject to a prescriptive certification program and is expensive to dispose of. Because the Plutonium Facility generates approximately 140 cubic meters of transuranic (TRU) waste each year, this significant financial burden effectively reduces the funds available to conduct research. To cut waste disposal costs, the NMT Division is making a considerable effort to identify and fund implementation of treatment and size-reduction processes. This study looks at both the effectiveness and probability of successful implementation. The waste management group’s waste minimization specialist has used waste generation information to identify the two largest TRU waste streams: combustible solids would benefit from size reduction, and nonactinide metals can be decontaminated. To reduce the size of combustible solids (polyethylene bottles and rubber hose), an industrial-model granulator, which was purchased for the head end of a molten salt oxidation process, is being adapted. This waste stream can be reduced by about 30% without affecting the ability to perform nuclear material assay. For glovebox decontamination, electrolytic decontamination techniques previously developed will also work on metals (tubing, tools, and equipment). Reducing the TRU levels to low-level contamination will allow onsite disposal, significantly reducing disposal costs (by approximately an order of magnitude). Several other technologies that were developed to address environmental regulatory concerns will also result in modest waste minimization and are in various states of installation and testing; they are vitrification for aqueous TRU waste, pyrolysis for the destruction of mixed waste, and distillation and recycle for nitric acid and trichloroethylene. The successful implementation and coordination of waste minimization and treatment technologies is resulting in cost savings from waste reduction and avoidance for the NMT Division.

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