Department of Energy (DOE) Radiological Control Manual

Chapter 4 - Radioactive Materials

Part 6 - Support Activities

Table of Contents (Articles 46x)

• 461 Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing
• 462 Laundry
• 463 Decontamination
• 464 Vacuum Cleaners and Portable Air-Handling EquipmentSi

Article 461 - Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing

1. Protective clothing designated for radiological control use shall be specifically identified by color, symbol or appropriate labeling.

2. Protective clothing designated for radiological control use shall not be used for nonradiological work.

3. Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing shall not be stored with personal street clothing.

4. Cleaned Personal Protective Equipment, such as face shields and respirators, that comes into contact with the wearer's face and company issued non-personal protective clothing shall be surveyed. Contamination levels should be below Table 2-2 total contamination values prior to reuse. The use of statistically representative sampling is acceptable.

5. Laundered protective clothing should be surveyed using statistically representative sampling and should meet the following criteria prior to reuse:

6. Beta-gamma radioactivity less than 10,000 dpm/100 cm2
7. Alpha radioactivity less than 1,000 dpm/100 cm2 for transuranics and other alpha emitters in the same Table 2-2 category, and less than 10,000 dpm/100cm2 for uranium.

• Sites and facilities are encouraged to:
  1. Apply the latest techniques and instrumentation to detect contamination on Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing below Table 2-2 total contamination values.
  2. Continue efforts to reduce contamination levels on reusable Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing.
  Return to Chapter 4, Part 6 Table of Contents

Article 462 - Laundry

1. Clothing and equipment should be laundered according to facility, color, type and level of contamination.

2. Laundry activities should be performed using processes that minimize both potential worker exposure and the volume of waste generated.

3. Clothing and equipment should be screened before they are laundered to segregate those that are damaged, present special handling problems or require disposal.

4. Waste streams that contain soaps, detergents, solvents or other materials which could interfere with processing large- volume liquid waste streams should be segregated for separate processing.

5. Contracting for fully licensed laundry services is encouraged.

6. Cleaned Personal Protective Equipment and laundered protective clothing shall be inspected prior to use. Clothing should be free of tears, separated seams, deterioration and damage, or repaired in a manner that provides the original level of protection.

Article 463 - Decontamination

1. Radiological Work Permits or technical work documents shall include provisions to control contamination at the source to minimize the amount of decontamination needed.

2. Work preplanning shall include consideration of the handling, temporary storage and decontamination of materials, tools and equipment.

3. Decontamination activities shall be controlled to prevent the spread of contamination.

4. Water and steam are the preferred decontamination agents. Other cleaning agents should be selected based upon their effectiveness, hazardous properties, amount of waste generated and ease of disposal.

5. Decontamination methods should be used to reduce the number of contaminated areas.

6. Efforts should be made to reduce the level of contamination and the number and size of contaminated areas that cannot be eliminated.

7. Facility line management should be responsible for directing decontamination efforts.

Article 464 - Vacuum Cleaners and Portable Air-Handling Equipment

Improper use of vacuum cleaners and portable air-handling equipment may result in the generation of airborne radioactivity, loose surface contamination or high dose rates.

1. Vacuum cleaners and portable air-handling equipment used in areas established to control removable surface contamination or airborne radioactivity (except areas where only tritium is present) shall be equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. If the material to be vacuumed is wet enough to preclude resuspension, then HEPA filters are not necessary.

2. HEPA filters used in vacuum cleaner and portable air- handling equipment shall meet the efficiency and construction requirements for HEPA filters in MIL-F-51068. The maximum flow rate of the device shall not exceed the flow rate at which the HEPA filter was efficiency tested. In addition, the device shall be leak tested prior to initial use, when units have been opened, and annually. Leak tests are conducted by injecting DOP or equivalent aerosols into the inlet of the device and measuring the DOP concentration at the inlet and outlet of the device. ERDA 76-21, Section 8.3.1, provides additional information on in- place testing of HEPA filters.

3. Vacuum cleaners used for radiological work shall be:

4. Uniquely marked and labeled
5. Controlled by an RWP
6. Controlled to prevent unauthorized use
7. Designed to ensure HEPA filter integrity under conditions of use
8. Designed to prevent unauthorized or accidental access to the inner surfaces of the vacuum.

• Radiation and contamination surveys shall be performed periodically for vacuum cleaners in use and labels on these units shall be updated. The frequency of radiation surveys should depend on the specific use of the vacuum cleaner.

• Airborne radioactivity levels shall be monitored when a vacuum cleaner is used in a highly contaminated area.

• A nuclear safety review shall be performed and documented prior to the use of a vacuum cleaner for fissile material.
  
  Return to Chapter 4, Part 6 Table of Contents