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Title: Dexterity test data contribute to reduction in leaded glovebox gloves use

Abstract

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (T A-55) involve working with various amounts of plutonium and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces, airborne contamination, and excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone are prevented through the use of a variety of gloveboxes. Using an integrated approach, controls have been developed and implemented through an efficient Glovebox Glove Integrity Program. A key element of this program is to consider measures that lower the overall risk of glovebox operations. Line management who own glovebox processes through this program make decisions on which type of glovebox gloves (hereafter referred to as gloves), the weakest component of this safety-significant system, would perform best in these aggressive environments. As Low as Reasonably Achievable considerations must be balanced with glove durability and worker dexterity, both of which affect the final overall risk of the operation. In the past, lead-loaded (leaded) gloves made from Hypalon(reg.) were the primary glove for programmatic operations at TA55. Replacing leaded gloves with unleaded gloves for certain operations would lower the overall risk as well as reduce the amount of mixed transuranic waste. This effort contributes to the Los Alamos Nationalmore » Laboratory Continuous Improvement Program by improving the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and formality of glovebox operations. In this report, the pros and cons of wearing leaded gloves, the effect of leaded gloves versus unleaded gloves on task performance using standard dexterity tests, the justification for switching from leaded to unleaded gloves, and the pollution prevention benefits of this dramatic change in the glovebox system are presented.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
956574
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-09-01308; LA-UR-09-1308
TRN: US201014%%1943
DOE Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Conference
Journal Name:
Journal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Waste Management 2009 Symposium ; Phoenix, Arizona, USA ; March 1, 2009
Additional Journal Information:
Conference: Journal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Waste Management 2009 Symposium ; March 1, 2009 ; Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; ALARA; ALPHA PARTICLES; CONTAMINATION; EFFICIENCY; GLOVEBOXES; GLOVES; HAZARDS; INDOOR AIR CONTAMINATION; LANL; LEAD; PERFORMANCE; PERSONNEL; PLUTONIUM; POLLUTION ABATEMENT; RADIATION PROTECTION; SHIELDING MATERIALS; REDUCTION; RESPIRATION; SURFACES; TESTING

Citation Formats

Cournoyer, Michael E, Lawton, Cindy M, Castro, Amanda M, Costigan, Stephen A, and Schreiber, Stephen. Dexterity test data contribute to reduction in leaded glovebox gloves use. United States: N. p., 2009. Web.
Cournoyer, Michael E, Lawton, Cindy M, Castro, Amanda M, Costigan, Stephen A, & Schreiber, Stephen. Dexterity test data contribute to reduction in leaded glovebox gloves use. United States.
Cournoyer, Michael E, Lawton, Cindy M, Castro, Amanda M, Costigan, Stephen A, and Schreiber, Stephen. 2009. "Dexterity test data contribute to reduction in leaded glovebox gloves use". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/956574.
@article{osti_956574,
title = {Dexterity test data contribute to reduction in leaded glovebox gloves use},
author = {Cournoyer, Michael E and Lawton, Cindy M and Castro, Amanda M and Costigan, Stephen A and Schreiber, Stephen},
abstractNote = {Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (T A-55) involve working with various amounts of plutonium and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces, airborne contamination, and excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone are prevented through the use of a variety of gloveboxes. Using an integrated approach, controls have been developed and implemented through an efficient Glovebox Glove Integrity Program. A key element of this program is to consider measures that lower the overall risk of glovebox operations. Line management who own glovebox processes through this program make decisions on which type of glovebox gloves (hereafter referred to as gloves), the weakest component of this safety-significant system, would perform best in these aggressive environments. As Low as Reasonably Achievable considerations must be balanced with glove durability and worker dexterity, both of which affect the final overall risk of the operation. In the past, lead-loaded (leaded) gloves made from Hypalon(reg.) were the primary glove for programmatic operations at TA55. Replacing leaded gloves with unleaded gloves for certain operations would lower the overall risk as well as reduce the amount of mixed transuranic waste. This effort contributes to the Los Alamos National Laboratory Continuous Improvement Program by improving the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and formality of glovebox operations. In this report, the pros and cons of wearing leaded gloves, the effect of leaded gloves versus unleaded gloves on task performance using standard dexterity tests, the justification for switching from leaded to unleaded gloves, and the pollution prevention benefits of this dramatic change in the glovebox system are presented.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/956574}, journal = {Journal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Waste Management 2009 Symposium ; Phoenix, Arizona, USA ; March 1, 2009},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2009},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2009}
}

Conference:
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