Addressing as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) issues: investigation of worker collective external and extremity dose data

Cournoyer, Michael Edward; Costigan, Stephen Andrew; Schreiber, Stephen Bruce

doi:10.1016/j.jchas.2017.03.003

Title: Addressing as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) issues: investigation of worker collective external and extremity dose data

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Abstract

Plutonium emits both neutrons and photons and when it is stored or handled inside a glovebox, both photons and neutrons are significant external radiation hazards. Doses to the extremities are usually dominated by gamma radiation in typical plutonium glovebox operations. Excess external dose can generates stochastic effects consisting of cancer and benign tumors in some organs. Direct doses from radiation sources external to the body are measured by thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) placed on the glovebox worker between the neck and waist. Wrist dosimeters are used to assess externally penetrating radiation including neutrons and provide an estimate of neutron radiation exposure to the extremities. Both TLDs and wrist dosimeters are processed monthly for most glovebox workers. Here, worker collective extremity and external dose data have been analyzed to prevent and mitigate external radiation events through the use of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma business practices (LSS). Employing LSS, statistically significant variations (trends) are identified in worker collective extremity and external dose data. Finally, the research results presented in this paper are pivotal to the ultimate focus of this program, which is to minimize external radiation events.

Authors:

Cournoyer, Michael Edward ^[1]; Costigan, Stephen Andrew ^[1]; Schreiber, Stephen Bruce ^[1]

Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Publication Date:: 2017-03-17

Research Org.:: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1351236

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1550576

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-17-21440
Journal ID: ISSN 1871-5532

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-06NA25396

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Chemical Health and Safety

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 24; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 1871-5532

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; Plutonium; neutron; photon; dose; extremity; external; LSS; trends; output metric; control chart

Citation Formats


                    Cournoyer, Michael Edward, Costigan, Stephen Andrew, and Schreiber, Stephen Bruce. Addressing as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) issues: investigation of worker collective external and extremity dose data.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jchas.2017.03.003.

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                    Cournoyer, Michael Edward, Costigan, Stephen Andrew, & Schreiber, Stephen Bruce. Addressing as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) issues: investigation of worker collective external and extremity dose data.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2017.03.003

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                    Cournoyer, Michael Edward, Costigan, Stephen Andrew, and Schreiber, Stephen Bruce. Fri .  
"Addressing as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) issues: investigation of worker collective external and extremity dose data".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2017.03.003.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1351236.

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@article{osti_1351236,

  title        = {Addressing as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) issues: investigation of worker collective external and extremity dose data},

  author       = {Cournoyer, Michael Edward and Costigan, Stephen Andrew and Schreiber, Stephen Bruce},

  abstractNote = {Plutonium emits both neutrons and photons and when it is stored or handled inside a glovebox, both photons and neutrons are significant external radiation hazards. Doses to the extremities are usually dominated by gamma radiation in typical plutonium glovebox operations. Excess external dose can generates stochastic effects consisting of cancer and benign tumors in some organs. Direct doses from radiation sources external to the body are measured by thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) placed on the glovebox worker between the neck and waist. Wrist dosimeters are used to assess externally penetrating radiation including neutrons and provide an estimate of neutron radiation exposure to the extremities. Both TLDs and wrist dosimeters are processed monthly for most glovebox workers. Here, worker collective extremity and external dose data have been analyzed to prevent and mitigate external radiation events through the use of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma business practices (LSS). Employing LSS, statistically significant variations (trends) are identified in worker collective extremity and external dose data. Finally, the research results presented in this paper are pivotal to the ultimate focus of this program, which is to minimize external radiation events.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jchas.2017.03.003},

  journal      = {Journal of Chemical Health and Safety},

  number       = 5,

  volume       = 24,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2017},

  month        = {3}

}

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