Criticality Accident Dosimetry - Continued

DOE-STD-1128-98

Guide of Good Practices for Occupational Radiological Protection in Plutonium Facilities

The criticality accident program should contain the following items:

-- a method and procedure to conduct an initial screening of individuals involved in a

nuclear accident to determine whether significant exposures to radiation occurred (10

CFR 835.1304(b)(1))

-- methods, procedures, and equipment for obtaining and analyzing biological materials

(including 24Na activity from blood samples and 32P activity in the hair)(10 CFR

835.1304(b)(2)), as well as metal coins, jewelry, and articles of apparel that may have

become activated from neutrons

-- a system of fixed dosimeters (i.e., NADs) (10 CFR 835.1304b(3)) capable of

furnishing estimated radiation dose within an accuracy of 25% and the approximate

neutron spectrum at the installed locations to allow conversion from rad to rem

-- an operating range for the fixed dosimeters' neutron component 10 rad to 10,000 rad

-- measurement capabilities for the fixed dosimeters' gamma ray component of fission

gamma rays in the presence of neutrons with an accuracy of 20%, and an operating

range for the gamma component operating range extending from 10 rad to 10,000 rad

-- PNADs capable of furnishing sufficient information to determine neutron and gamma

dose with an accuracy of 25% over a range of 10 rad to 1000 rad without

dependence upon fixed NAD data

-- a radiological counting laboratory with the methodology, analytical procedures, and

quality assurance program in place to count the activated samples from the criticality

accident and provide results quickly

-- counting of activities in persons with significant exposures to assess the activation

products in the body if a whole body counter is available (this is one of the more

accurate methods for dose estimation)

-- a health physicist designated to coordinate and evaluate the dosimetry information

and provide dose estimates shortly after the accident

-- a quality assurance program in place to help assure the accuracy and validity of the

dosimetry results.

As mentioned in Section 6.1, the concept of dose equivalent was used to quantify

exposures to different radiations. The quality factors used to determine dose equivalent

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