Worker Sustains Finger Laceration While Working in Glovebox

Radiological Safety Training for Plutonium Facilities

DOEHDBK11452001

Handouts

Lessons Learned 3

Worker Sustains Finger Laceration While Working in Glovebox

An employee at the Rocky Flats Plant was cutting a furnace inside a glovebox to reduce

its size for waste disposal when he accidentally hit the trigger on the electric saw and the

blade cut his left index finger (RFO-KHLL-779OPS-1999-0006). A bag was placed over the

lacerated hand and taped at the wrist. The employee was transported to Occupational

Medicine, where a wound counter measured 41 nanocuries alpha. After decontamination,

30.5 nanocuries was measured. A decision was made by medical personnel to offer the

employee diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid ((DTPA), a chelating agent. The employee

consented to chelation therapy and DTPA was administered. Upon further examination ,

medical personnel found a tendon that appeared to have been damaged. The employee,

accompanied by two radiological control technicians and the plant physician, was

transported to a specialist for tendon repair.

The committed effective Dose Equivalent (CEDE) was determined to be 3,100 millirem

and maximum committed organ dose (bone surfaces) was 56,000 millirem. Due to the

administration of DTPA, the urine sample results collected prior to April 8, 1999 were not

used in this assessment. The urine sample results collected after April 8, 1999 and three

fecal samples collected in February 1999 were used to calculate the intake and resulting

dose.