SURFACE CONTAMINATION CONTROL WITH URANIUM ROLLING OPERATIONS
The problems encountered during uranium rolling were found to be more of a technical nature than one of great health hazard. The considerations for enriched uranium were found to be essentially the same as for normal uranium except for the magnification of specific activity levels. Strip heating of uranium and rollers resulted in the least amount of contamination spread, with the exception of wiper blades. Heating uranium in an oil bath prior to rolling resulted in the second least contamination spread, and salt bath and furnace heat methods resulted in the greatest amount of contamination spread. Work clothing issue and change room facilities reduce contamination to personnel as well as confining contamination activity within the plant. Personnel must be monitored for contamination as they leave the area both as a health check and also to indicate a trend on operating controls. It has been found that waste water from such areas has not exceeded the drinking water tolerance providing it has been properly filtered. Contaminated clothing must be processed by laundry facilities segregated from those handling ordinary clothes. Shearing operations created more problems than rolling since the materiall had to be handled longer while it was being sheared. This opcration results in the greatest external radiation to the body, in addition to creating high airborne contamination, unless adequate ventilation is provided directly at the shears. Contaminated residue had to be placed in containers and disposed of in accordance with AEC and local requirements. Frequent surface monitoring was the key to contamination control. With the exercise of proper contamination and fire control, the hazard encountered by personnel was nil. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N. Mex.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-012572
- OSTI ID:
- 4266289
- Journal Information:
- American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal (U.S.) Formerly Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. Q., Vol. Vol: 20; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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