Application - doe-hdbk-1188-20060005

DOE-HDBK-1188-2006

be part of the Glossary as well as more commonplace or non-critical terms and definitions.

This Glossary of Environment, Safety and Health Terms is now intended to be a comprehensive

listing of ES&H terms and definitions that appear in any DOE ES&H rule, Directive or DOE

Technical Standard. It should be used by any writer, reviewer or user of any DOE rule,

Directive or Technical Standard to support consistent use and understanding of an ES&H term

and definition. It is a living document that functions as a common repository and handy reference

book. Definitions in the Glossary should not be misapplied or taken out of context in an

unreasonable manner.

There are multiple definitions for some terms because these terms are used in different contexts

and/or derive from different sources. The source of each term is identified where possible.

Obviously, some sources are more authoritative than others. Terms defined in statutes take

precedent over the same terms grounded in New or Old Series (4-digit directives) DOE

Orders. The hierarchy of source authority proceeds downward to manuals, guides, and

standards generally in that order. There is often a rationale, such as technical accuracy or

specificity, for incorporating terms from a less authoritative source.

1.3 Application

The contents of this Glossary (DOE- HDBK-XXXX) are generally applicable to all DOE

nuclear and non-nuclear activities. Users should select those terms applicable to their needs

noting the source cited. DOE handbooks are not mandatory Directives, and it is not expected

that these definitions will always be used. The reader may wish to consult the latest DOE

guidance for newer definitions. However, any new usage for a term in this Glossary would risk

introducing the confusion the document is intended to prevent.

The DOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance, EH-42, has issued its own glossary of

technical and regulatory terms most commonly encountered in NEPA documents. This

"Glossary of Terms Used in DOE NEPA Documents" is available electronically on the Web at

http://tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa/ . It has been reformatted for inclusion in this DOE Glossary of

Environment, Safety and Health Terms as an appendix. There are currently 182 terms defined

in the NEPA Glossary, 22 of which appear to duplicate terms in this Glossary. A comparison

of the definitions for the 22 terms that appear in both the DOE Glossary of Environment, Safety

and Health Terms and the NEPA Glossary yields the following:

Better definitions for the terms ALARA, COLLECTIVE DOSE, COMMITTED DOSE

EQUIVALENT (HT -50), FISSIONABLE MATERIALS, LOW-LEVEL WASTE (LLW),

QUALITY FACTOR, RADIATION, and WEIGHTING FACTOR (WT ) will be found in the

main text, the DOE Glossary of Environment, Safety and Health Terms. Definitions for DOSE