Design Objectives

DOE-STD-1128-98

Guide of Good Practices for Occupational Radiological Protection in Plutonium Facilities

C DOE-STD-1022-94 Natural Phenomena Hazards Site Characterization Criteria. (DOE, 1994r)

C DOE-STD-3009-94 Preparation Guide for U.S. Department of Energy Nonreactor Nuclear

Facility Safety Analysis Reports. (DOE, 1994s)

C DOE-STD-1023-95 Natural Phenomena Hazards Assessment Criteria. (DOE, 1995e)

C.2 DESIGN OBJECTIVES

The design of a plutonium facility should achieve the following objectives:

-- Protect the public and facility personnel from hazards associated with the use of radioactive and

other hazardous materials as a result of normal operations, anticipated operational occurrences,

and design-basis accident conditions, including the effects of natural phenomena pertinent to the

site, and maintain these effects ALARA;

-- ensure compliance with DOE policies regarding nuclear safety, criticality safety, radiation

safety, explosives safety, industrial safety, fire protection, and safeguards and security protection

for special nuclear material;

-- protect government property and essential operations from the effects of potential accidents; and

-- minimize exposures of personnel and the general public to hazardous material by emphasizing

ALARA concerns during all design, construction, and operational phases.

10 CFR 835.1002 Facility design and modifications provides requirements for the design

objectives.

-- Optimization methods shall be used to assure that occupational exposure is maintained ALARA

in developing and justifying facility design and physical controls.

-- The design objective for controlling personnel exposure from external sources of radiation in

areas of continuous occupational occupancy (2000 hours per year) shall be to maintain exposure

levels below an average of 0.5 mrem (5 microsieverts) per hour and as far below this average as

is reasonably achievable. The design objectives for exposure rates for potential exposure to a

radiological worker where occupancy differs from the above shall be ALARA and shall not

exceed 20 percent of the applicable standards in 835.202.

-- Regarding the control of airborne radioactive material, the design objective shall be, under

normal conditions, to avoid releases to the workplace atmosphere and in any situation, to control

the inhalation of such material by workers to levels that are ALARA; confinement and

ventilation shall normally be used.

-- The design or modification of a facility and the selection of materials shall include features that

facilitate operations, maintenance, decontamination, and decommissioning.

In addition, the DOE Standard, Radiological Control, (DOE, 1999a) provides the following design

considerations:

C-2