Re: Smear Checks of Respirators

["Leon E Brown" <lebrown@cmsenergy.com>]

We do not smear check respirators after use at the Big Rock Point Restoration
Project.  It has been recognized that this would be an attribute for a benchmark
respiratory protection program and we have considered adding the practice to our
program.  However, we have not experienced facial contaminations while wearing
respirators and do not consider the added effort involved in respirator
collection and smearing warranted based on our history.  We do not experience
airborne alpha and our primary nuclides of concern are Co-60 and Cs-137.  This
makes our PCM-1Bs and PM-7 quite effective in picking up personnel contamination
that may not have been detected while frisking.

Leon E. Brown, CHP
Senior Consultant
Big Rock Point Restoration Project
(231) 547-8419
lebrown@cmsenergy.com


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