C.2 Design Objectives cont'd

DOE-STD-1128-98

In addition, the DOE Standard, Radiological Control, Ch. 1. (DOE, 2004) provides the

following design considerations:

-- Individual worker dose should be ALARA and less than 500 mrem/y;

-- discharges of radioactive liquid to the environment are covered by the provisions of

DOE Order 5400.5 (DOE, 1993c) and should not degrade the groundwater;

-- control of contamination should be achieved by containment of radioactive material;

-- efficiency of maintenance, decontamination and operations should be maximized;

-- components should be selected to minimize the buildup of radioactivity;

-- support facilities should be provided for donning and removal of protective clothing

and for personnel monitoring, where appropriate; and

-- a neutron quality factor of 20 should be used for design purposes.

The DOE Standard, Radiological Control, also states that facilities currently under

construction should be evaluated and the above criteria applied where practicable. The

manual strongly discourages locating lunch rooms or eating areas, restrooms, drinking

fountains, showers and similar facilities and devices and office spaces within Radiation

Areas, High and Very High Radiation Areas, Contamination and High Contamination

Areas, Airborne Radioactivity Areas, Radioactive Material Areas, or and Radiological

Buffer Areas.

The specific facility design chosen depends on the quantity and form of plutonium that will

be used. Some simple processes involving very small quantities of unsealed plutonium can

be carried out safely in well-designed and adequately filtered open-faced hoods such as

those found in a general radiochemistry facility. The specific quantity that can be handled

in this manner depends on the complexity of the process and the specific form of the

material. Any use of unsealed plutonium should be reviewed by the facility's safety

personnel, and the feasibility of the proposed use should be established based on the form

of the material to be used, the work to be performed, and the engineered and administrative

controls to be employed. Based on experience, if the quantity of plutonium is 100 mg or

more, the process should be performed in a plutonium facility.

The application of these guidelines to specific proposals for the modification of existing

facilities or the construction of new facilities requires that judgments be made based on

detailed information about the facility, its use, quantities of plutonium involved, operations

to be performed, degree of need for operating continuity during and/or after postulated

accidents, and the potential impact on surrounding facilities and the public. For some

facility modifications, the engineering criteria outlined here may be modified or reduced if

administrative requirements are increased. A cost-benefit analysis should be performed to

make this decision.

The primary goal of the design objectives is to keep the plutonium confined in its intended

place (i.e., capsule, hood, glove box, etc.), both during normal operations and under

accident conditions. Of equal importance is consideration of the human factors in design

that promote efficiency and ease of operation. Additional design criteria may be necessary

C-3