Introduction - std10690006

DOE-STD-1069-94

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose

This guide is intended to assist facility maintenance organizations in the review of

existing methods and in developing new methods for establishing maintenance tool and

equipment control for all areas of the facility, including radiologically controlled areas

(RCAs). Tools and equipment of the proper type, quality, and quantity should be

available for issue and use when needed by the maintenance craftspersons. Adequate

tool and equipment control in the facility contributes to worker efficiency, and it also is

needed to limit the number of tools introduced into potentially contaminated areas, to

minimize the spread of radioactive contamination, and to reduce volumes of solid

radioactive wastes. A dedicated supply of tools and equipment should be established for

exclusive use within the facility's RCAs. A controlled supply of tools and equipment

should be provided to ensure that an adequate quantity is available to avoid delays in

maintenance work activities. Good tool control should minimize the risks of (1)

personnel contaminations and (2) the inadvertent release to radiologically uncontrolled

areas of such potentially contaminated items. Personnel accountability is essential to an

effective tool and equipment control program.

An adequate decontamination facility is needed to enable the facility to reuse a wide

variety of contaminated tools and equipment and to minimize replacement expenditures.

A versatile decontamination facility and program should be used to reduce levels of

removable and fixed radioactive contamination on the surface of controlled tools and

equipment. Decontamination of tools and equipment also should be used to minimize

the contribution of contaminated tools and equipment to solid radioactive waste

volumes.

It is expected that each DOE facility may use approaches or methods different from

those defined in this guide. The specific guidelines that follow reflect generally accepted

industry practices. Therefore, deviation from any particular guideline would not, in

itself, indicate a problem. If substantive differences exist between the intent of this

guideline and actual practice, management should evaluate current practice to determine

the need to include/exclude proposed features. A change in maintenance practice would

be appropriate if a performance weakness were determined to exist. The development,

documentation, and implementation of other features that further enhance these

guidelines for specific applications are encouraged.