Washington Closure Hanford had another "near miss" electrical accident this week, less than a month after the Department of Energy proposed reducing the contractor's pay because of electrical safety problems.

Washington Closure Hanford plans to bring in experts from Washington Group International to cast a fresh eye on safety practices and work controls and suggest improvements, said Todd Nelson, spokesman for Washington Closure.

Washington Closure's problems come as DOE is focusing on reducing electrical safety problems across its nationwide complex.

Tuesday morning, a worker doing cleanup work in the area of N Reactor near the Columbia River cut into an electrical conduit, unaware that it was energized with 120 volts of power. He saw sparks coming out and immediately stopped work, Nelson said.

Washington Closure and Department of Energy officials are investigating the cause of the near miss.

It follows three incidents over the summer. Two involved cutting underground electrical wires. In the third case, a worker using a portable saw in a wet environment received an electrical shock, but was not hurt.

DOE responded by proposing to deduct $100,000 from Washington Closure's incentive fee. The amount will not be set until Washington Closure responds with information on conditions that might be considered mitigating factors.

DOE is not expected to estimate how much incentive fee Washington Closure earned in 2006, based on factors such as how much work was done and how quickly, for several months.

DOE saw an increased number of electrical safety events at its sites starting in 2004 and has launched a safety emphasis to address the trend.