Gloves

Tritium Primer

DOE-HDBK-1079-94

RADIOLOGICAL CONTROL

Gloves

In most operations, the hands and forearms of workers are vulnerable to contact with

tritium surface contamination. The proper use and selection of gloves are essential.

Many factors should be considered in selecting the proper type of glove. These include

chemical compatibility, permeation resistance, abrasion resistance, solvent resistance,

glove thickness, glove toughness, glove color, shelf life, and unit cost. Gloves are

commercially available in butyl rubber, neoprene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics,

latex, etc.

The most common gloves found in tritium laboratories are the light-weight, disposable

short glove (usually PVC or latex) used for handling lightly contaminated equipment.

Depending on the level of contamination, such gloves may be changed frequently (every

1020 minutes), a second pair may be worn, or heavier gloves may be used instead.

When using gloves for this purpose, the work should be planned so that contaminated

gloves doe not spread contamination to surfaces that are being kept free of contamination.

When working in a glove box using the box gloves, disposable gloves are worn to

prevent uptake of HTO contaminating the outside of the box gloves. Again, depending

on the level of contamination, more than one additional pair may be required, one of

which may be a longer, surgeon's length, glove.

In spite of all the precautions normally taken, workers may occasionally be contaminated

with tritium. The skin should be decontaminated as soon as possible after any potential

skin exposure to minimize absorption into the body. Effective personal decontamination

methods include rinsing the affected part of the body with cool water and soap. If the

entire body is affected, the worker should shower with soap and water that is as cool as

can be tolerated. Cool water keeps the pores of the skin closed and reduces the transfer

of HTO across the skin. The importance of washing the affected skin as soon as possible

after contamination cannot be over-emphasized. Figure 8d illustrates the effect of speed

on reducing the uptake and the resultant dose. Even if gloves are worn when handling

contaminated equipment or when working in contaminated glove box gloves, it is good

practice to wash the hands after removing the gloves.

d. W. R. Bush, Assessing and Controlling the Hazard from Tritiated Water, AECL-4150, Atomic

Energy of Canada LTD., Chalk River, Ontario, 1972.

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Tritium