Savannah River site contractor faces fine

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

    Savannah River site contractor faces fine



This story was published Tue, Apr 13, 2004

http://www.hanfordnews.com/2004/0413.html



*By Annette Cary*

*Herald staff writer*



The Department of Energy plans to fine the primary contractor at the 

Savannah River, S.C., nuclear site after workers were unnecessarily 

exposed to radiation and dose records falsified, DOE announced Monday.



The proposed fine against Westinghouse Savannah River Co. is for $206,250.



"DOE took this action because of the number of personnel protective 

barriers that were overcome and the potential this had for significant 

radiation exposure levels to personnel," according to a statement from 

DOE. Problems were similar to those in an event five years ago, it found.



In the most recent incident in late July, workers at Savannah River were 

repackaging scrub alloy material from the Rocky Flats, Colo., nuclear site.



On the previous shift workers had worn lead vests because of the 

unusually high dose rates of the material, according to a DOE report. 

But when the evening shift began on July 28, the shift operations 

manager did not warn workers of the danger, according to the report.



When a radiation control inspector and others realized that hazardous 

conditions existed the morning of July 29, they failed to stop the work, 

according to DOE.



The inspector and two operators should have been wearing lead vests, and 

other controls should have been in place, according to DOE. None was 

wearing required hand dosimeters.



In addition, neither of the operators had electronic personal dosimeters 

worn on their chests as required with their primary dosimeter. One wore 

the personal dosimeter on his waistband and the other in his pants 

pocket, according to DOE.



All three of the workers' electronic personal dosimeters activated 

alarms, but the three continued working instead of leaving the area, 

according to DOE.



When the operators left the area, they were required to record their 

electronic personal dosimeter readings. Although their dosimeters read 

378 and 229 millirems, a manager told them they should record values of 

less than 100 millirems, according to DOE.



One recorded a reading of 36.9 millirems, and the other recorded a 

reading of 33.4 millirems after another worker told them the alarms were 

activated at 35 millirems, according to DOE.



DOE later determined that one of the operators received an estimated 

dose of 840 millirem in the incident, which put his annual exposure for 

the year above 1,500 millirem.





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