Emergency Response Actions - STD-1128-98master0221

DOE-STD-1128-98

Guide of Good Practices for Occupational Radiological Protection in Plutonium Facilities

7.5.2 Emergency Response Actions

The priorities of line management (which could include involving the health physics staff)

during a criticality event should be to rescue personnel, prevent further incidents or

exposures, and quickly determine those who have been seriously exposed (Moe, 1988). To

support these emergency response actions, the health physics staff should be trained in

facility emergency procedures. These emergency procedures include evacuation routes,

personnel assembly areas, personnel accountability, care and treatment of injured and

exposed persons, a means for immediate identification of exposed individuals,

instrumentation for determining the radiation levels at the assembly area, and the re-entry

and formation of response teams.

Emergency response procedures for conducting the initial quick sort of workers should

specify measurement techniques and require that surveyors record methods and instrument

settings used for quick-sort operations to ensure proper interpretation of the results. Field

results should be compared to pre-established activity-dose relationships developed as part

of emergency response procedures to determine if a worker was exposed. Other indicators

such as a discharged self-reading dosimeter could also be an indication of a possible

exposure.

As an immediate follow-up action for workers identified as being exposed during a quick-

sort procedure, a more accurate dose estimate should be made using PNADs, fixed-location

accident dosimeters, or biological activity analyses (24Na in the blood or 32P in the hair).

Part of these more accurate analyses should include: 1) better definition of source

characteristics, 2) location of moderating materials, and 3) location and orientation of the

person(s) at the time of exposure and action of the person following the irradiation. The

health physics staff can provide valuable information to support this analysis, particularly

regarding the location and orientation of workers to the excursion if they are involved in the

rescue and initial monitoring procedures.

Health physics staff will be responsible for retrieving fixed nuclear accident dosimeters and

ensuring that PNADs from any exposed workers are submitted for analysis.

7.5.3 Special Considerations During Decommissioning Activities

Before decommissioning or disposal of any facilities or equipment, an evaluation should be

performed to assess the potential holdup of fissionable material in any equipment. These

types of measurements may require the assistance of health physics staff.

Some strippable coatings and surface fixing films are good neutron moderators. Nuclear

criticality safety specialists should be consulted when using these coatings to decontaminate

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