Requirements for Routine Operations - doe-std-1128-98

DOE-STD-1128-98

4.3.3.1 Requirements for Routine Operations

As a minimum, personnel who handle or work with unsealed sources of

plutonium should wear coveralls, gloves, and shoe covers. For inspections or

visits, lab coats and shoe covers may be permissible in those same areas.

When contaminated wet areas are to be entered, water-repellent (plastic or

rubber) clothing should be worn. No personal outer clothing should be

permitted under coveralls.

When working with unsealed plutonium sources or in glove boxes, hands

should be protected by a minimum of two barriers, for example, at least one

pair of surgeon's gloves and one pair of glove-box gloves. Where manual

dexterity is not required and the work involves a potential for piercing one or

both layers of rubber gloves, leather gloves should be worn over the

surgeon's gloves. Automated methods should be considered for replacing

routine manual methods that have a high risk of piercing the gloves.

Protective clothing should be removed at the exit to radiologically controlled

areas and personnel monitoring for contamination performed. If for some

reason this is not practical, the movement of personnel should be strictly

controlled from the exit area to a location where protective clothing can be

removed.

4.3.3.2 Requirements for Special Maintenance

For special maintenance work that involves significant quantities of

plutonium, a double barrier concept should be implemented. An example of

minimum requirements for protective clothing is provided below:

-- Two pairs of coveralls (and sometimes a plastic suit)

-- Canvas boots taped to the inner pair of coveralls, with rubber boots over

the canvas boots

-- One pair of surgical gloves taped to the inner coveralls, with a leather,

cotton, or rubber outer pair of gloves

-- Respiratory protective device with hood taped to respirator.

To create a double barrier between the source and all extremities, surgeon

gloves should be worn in addition to the glove-box gloves. In general, black

Neoprene gloves are the standard glove-box glove and the most economical

to use where process conditions do not produce rapid glove deterioration.

However, alpha particles from surface dust layers can induce surface

cracking in black Neoprene. Hypalon 0 is more resistant to surface cracking,

acid deterioration, and ozone effects, and this characteristic will, in many

cases, make Hypalon gloves the most economical, despite their higher unit

cost.

4-21