Safety assessment document for the environmental test complex (Building 834) at Site 300

Technical Report · Tue Mar 03 00:00:00 EST 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6593897· OSTI ID:6593897

Odell, B N; Pfeifer, H E

A safety assessment was performed to determine if accidents occurring at the 834 Complex at Site 300 could present undue hazards to the general public, personnel at Site 300, or have an adverse effect on the environment. The credible accidents that might have an effect on these facilities or have off-site consequences were considered. These were earthquake, extreme wind (including missiles), lightning, flood, criticality, high explosive (HE) detonation that disperses uranium and beryllium, spontaneous oxidation of plutonium, explosions due to finely divided particles, and a fire. Seismic and extreme wind (including missiles) analyses indicate that the buildings are basically sound. (However, there are a few recommendations to further enhance the structural integrity of these facilities). Additional lightning protection for these facilities is being installed. These buildings are located high above the dry creek bed so that a flood is improbable. A criticality or a high explosive detonation involving plutonium is very remote since the radioactive materials are encased and plutonium and HE are not permitted concurrently in the same area at Site 300. (The exceptions to this policy are that explosive actuating devices are sometimes located in assemblies containing fissile materials. However, a planned or accidental actuation will not effect the safe containment of the fissile material within the assembly). Even though the possibility of an HE explosion involving uranium and beryllium is remote, the off-site lung doses were calculated and found to be below the accepted standards. It was determined that a fire was unlikely due to the low fire loading and the absence of ignition sources. It was also determined that the consequences of any accidents were reduced by the remote location of these facilities, their design, and by administrative controls.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6593897
• Report Number(s): UCID-18945; TRN: 81-006417
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
EXPLOSIONS
RISK ASSESSMENT
LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
ACCIDENTS
BERYLLIUM
BUILDINGS
DATA COMPILATION
EVALUATION
FIRES
FLOODS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
LIGHTNING
OXIDATION
PLUTONIUM
PROBABILITY
RADIATION DOSES
SAFETY
URANIUM
WIND
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
DISASTERS
DOSES
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELEMENTS
INFORMATION
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUMERICAL DATA
POPULATIONS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
570000* - Health & Safety
550200 - Biochemistry