RE: Personal contamination goals

[Rodney Bauman <RBauman@wssrap.com>]

No, there are NOT significant radiation exposure issues involved.  Even for
hot particles, the affected (i.e., irradiated) area is so small that
biological significance is rarely a concern.  As a result, the requirements
for recording and reporting of hot particle events have been accordingly
relaxed.

Tracking of personnel contamination events is mostly a housekeeping
indication and, if done properly, can provide indication of a breakdown in
certain radiological controls.

Based on what Glen and Bill stated earlier, it seems that the power industry
is using some common sense when dealing with personal external contamination
events; i.e., acknowledging that some events are assumed risk and do not
necessarily indicate a breakdown in rad controls.

Based on my experiences, a significant savings in TEDE can be realized
through careful planning and control of protective clothing, even if
personal contamination events may result.  Because, in a true TEDE-ALARA
world, personal external contamination cannot compete with the dose rates
within the channel-head of a steam generator, for example.

Rodney Bauman, CHP, RRPT
rbauman@wssrap.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Lester Slaback [mailto:Lester.Slaback@NIST.GOV]
Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2000 8:46 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: re: Personal contamination goals

Why are such criteria separate and distinct from total exposure?
Are there separate microrem whole body exposure goals and separate
millirem extremity goals, shallow dose goals, etc?.
Are skin exposures from contamination the dominant mode of radiation
exposure at power plants?
Or is this just a residue of pre-1994 regulations where internal exposure
and contamination were excessively controlled regardless of external
exposure?
Seriously, are there significant radiation exposure issues involved (not
counting hot particles) or is this simply an ALARA/cleanliness
issue?
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