Contamination control monitoring at the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Plutonium Facility

Cournoyer, Michael Edward

doi:10.1016/j.jchas.2017.10.008

Title: Contamination control monitoring at the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Plutonium Facility

Abstract

Plutonium airborne contamination creates a particular hazard because of the possibility of intake by inhalation. To preclude excursions of radioactive materials into the operator’s breathing zone, controls are used to prevent contamination. Measures to control radioactive contamination include eliminating or minimizing the spread of contamination and preventing cross-contamination. Contamination control philosophy at the plutonium facility is conveyed in one simple statement: Detect the contamination closest to the source as possible! Speed and distance when self-monitoring is critical to detecting plutonium contamination. Responding correctly to an alarm or monitor not working properly minimizes the consequences of plutonium contamination. Performing a full body frisking correctly and using the Peerchecking tool also minimize the consequences of plutonium contamination.

Authors:

Cournoyer, Michael Edward ^[1]

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

Publication Date:: Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2018

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

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1492670

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-18-27118
Journal ID: ISSN 1871-5532

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Chemical Health and Safety

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 25; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1871-5532

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION; Plutonium; airborne; contamination; control

Citation Formats


                    Cournoyer, Michael Edward. Contamination control monitoring at the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Plutonium Facility.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jchas.2017.10.008.

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                    Cournoyer, Michael Edward. Contamination control monitoring at the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Plutonium Facility.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2017.10.008

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                    Cournoyer, Michael Edward. Thu .  
"Contamination control monitoring at the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Plutonium Facility".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2017.10.008.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1492670.

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@article{osti_1492670,

  title        = {Contamination control monitoring at the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Plutonium Facility},

  author       = {Cournoyer, Michael Edward},

  abstractNote = {Plutonium airborne contamination creates a particular hazard because of the possibility of intake by inhalation. To preclude excursions of radioactive materials into the operator’s breathing zone, controls are used to prevent contamination. Measures to control radioactive contamination include eliminating or minimizing the spread of contamination and preventing cross-contamination. Contamination control philosophy at the plutonium facility is conveyed in one simple statement: Detect the contamination closest to the source as possible! Speed and distance when self-monitoring is critical to detecting plutonium contamination. Responding correctly to an alarm or monitor not working properly minimizes the consequences of plutonium contamination. Performing a full body frisking correctly and using the Peerchecking tool also minimize the consequences of plutonium contamination.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jchas.2017.10.008},

  journal      = {Journal of Chemical Health and Safety},

  number       = 2,

  volume       = 25,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2018},

  month        = {Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2018}

}

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Journal Article:

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2017.10.008

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Figure 1: A standard alpha detector.

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