Monitoring Program - STD-1128-98master0116

DOE-STD-1128-98

Guide of Good Practices for Occupational Radiological Protection in Plutonium Facilities

Techniques to monitor the individual worker at the work site include:

-- Frequent/routine surveys of gloves

-- exit surveys

-- nasal swipes

-- personal air sampling.

4.3.2 Monitoring Program

Instrumentation shall be provided and persons entering a plutonium work station shall be

required to survey themselves at established frequencies. The requirements for radioactive

contamination control and monitoring are found in 10 CFR 835.1102. As a minimum,

workers should survey their gloves and coverall sleeves each time they are withdrawn from

a glove box (or similar containment system) and after each glove replacement or bag-out

operation.

Personnel monitoring for contamination should be mandatory at the egress from controlled

areas and should be conducted in a verifiable manner. Assurance should be provided that

personnel are monitored prior to breaks, meals, or exits from the plant site. Portal monitors,

hand-and-shoe counters, and/or portable survey instruments may be used for this purpose. If

employees are instructed to perform self-monitoring, the equipment should be set up in a

"go/no-go" mode and employees should be clearly instructed in the required actions to take

if predetermined action levels are exceeded. Frequent audits should be performed to verify

that controls are adequate. Limiting the number of egress points and controlling personnel

movement can minimize the numbers of locations where positive control of personnel

monitoring must be maintained.

4.3.3 Protective Clothing

Various types of protective clothing, including laboratory coats, shoe covers, gloves,

coveralls, plastic or rubber suits, and air-purifying or atmosphere-supplying respiratory

protective equipment, may be required for operations with transuranic radionuclides. The

use of company-issue shoes and clothing for employees with work assignments in process

areas can be a major aid in contamination control. Recently, some facilities are using

disposable anti-contamination clothing. This may be a cost savings from a handling

standpoint. However, disposal costs must be considered. Additionally, consideration should

be given to the potential for heat stress.

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