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Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
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SUBJEC~ Safety Amex Prepared for 3TF 7- OPERATION REDWING (~ compoaente which may offer some hazard “ The Redw&g shipments allocated for SUACO transportation via the Curtiss are highly diver sified, extraordinarily expensive, ead may present complex hazards umder tiolently untoward circumstances. Howewx, the presence of l technically &mlified sciaatist aloag with the ahip - xneat will do rnose to prepare for ernergeacies than axay speculative procedures aad expansive emergmcy equipment, purchased .Specially for the job, could contribute. It shouhl be pointsd out that lverything included in the Curtiss shipmost complex shipmeat yet made. Tritium BEST COPY AVAILABLE Tritium, s radioactive isotope of hydrogen, is combustible, highly toxic and quite expeaaive. It’s combustible properties offer ao problem since the amotmt of trkiuxn l s a volume of gas is so small that its chemical enesgy may be aeglected. The value of the tritium, ia excess of one million dollar., calh for moro than the usual am- of care in the protection of the containers and their contests end in caamideratioa being gives to livage. Tritium must be considered l s l highly toxic llement because of its radioactivi~. However, it is carried in caset which, while mot yet provm in stockpile experience, have been subjected to careful ~gkeering aad testiag, ‘The tritiuzn will be carried at high pscasure (thousands of pouach) in small s ess steel bottlps which h=. been desigrmd to a streagth of four times the lc pressure and ha~e bees tested to u exce88 pressure of at least 50%. The8e er containers lre carried inside
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of larger contalaws whkh am. themselves, pressuro sealed and tested to withs=d the lower pressure that would lccumulate ia the larger Containe? if the smaller . . coataiaer should leak out of all its coateats. Furtkormore$ the larger coateiaer is pzewided with b presmre gauge whixh will be cheek.d periodically to sce if there hsc . , bees a Leak @the tams container, Portable moriitoriag devices +11, from time to time, bc used to monitor tir the preaeace of even negligible ~ts of tritiux@ the storage l rea of the G@iss will be c~steatiy monitored. Asi4e frem the squired careikl handling et tritham containers amdthe periodic monitoring control bt will be carried oa, it is probably more significant to is CSrtaia that the design of the present coataiaem lxe euch that May can aafal~ withstand an iacrcase in tempersmre of something like 30&W?. However, =- posare te any fir. of eay she for l reasoa-bla length of time will most certainly Ufect the eafety of the c~a. An incipient fire lround &ese containers may be fought by standard fim control techniques. A Iazge fire. detected ~~$ *~ would affect the tritium coataiaom would require that damage comtrol persoenel be provided with W-face rescue breathing spparatas. There will be two c~aiaero carrying standard fis=ioaable component. These may be cat.sidered inert ~ept when involved in l largs - sc ale fire. Zncipieat fires may be fought by standard fire control techniques; in a large-scale fire, detected Me. damage control permaael ahouid wear respiratory protection (full-face 88ssult masks or better) aad work from upwind. The high value of the se containers indicate more ~aa umal care in theiz handling and comider - Spare detonators will be carxied ia suitcase+-like containers. The explosive material in these detonators is smalI in lmount aad hu mbstaatially less sensitivity tiaa IS met wi~ in milks y or coznamraal detonators. The nature of the ~eats and of their packaging is such that the 10SS of one detonator by sxplosioa will mot propagate c@mr8. TIM ody realistic possibility of accident involviq detonators is an eavironmea$al fire. ~ch a fire may be fought by standard fise control procedures. The total weight of lithium hydride {or similar material) to be shipped is substantially less than has been carried lboard the Curtiss on l previam operation. AU this materiai will be packaged in sealed containers. Although lithium hydride is water sensitive in that it reacts with rnoi stuze to evolve hydrogea, the packagiag is considered to be so reliable that any fire in the eaviroament of this storage may be fought with the standard fise fighting techaique8. & tbe absence of water litbhra hydride burns at l rate elower
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*risk in cas. of fire than c- the lithium hydride own if the hydride is affoeted by water, it appears -et prdent to controlthe firo involving the l .Mgh wqAosives by the accepted emergency techniques for controlling a cmflagratiea arouad ad involving uAlitery4ype high explosives. My com~ which i. lortng aubtaatial quantiti. l of lithium hydrido should There will ba a small amoaat of deuteritm curbd •b~-dad, sick of Us ahipmeat maybe aeglected. of their carrying cues so = •~bli;hed that the risk maybe aeglectcd. - Zhe only realistic problem ie me ofs fire in the environment aad such l fire may bc fought l any stage by staadasd fire fighting techniques. l!he value of theoe compommta ia large aad sehage destible. The total weight of high explosives to be shipped is 2250 pouads. Althongh some uf tie exploslvo compoaeats will bc shipped with the detonators installed, it is believed that this will aot signifieaatiy imcroase the chance of exploeiom in case of fire arouad the high lxplosive eompoaents. Of farthr significance, however, is the fact that some of the axplosivos will be shipped Mimate with nuclear components. ~ires in the eavirmment wrroaad tha storage of the high explosive components shodd be fought vigorously and ~iC~ye WM. ouch l conflagration or m lxplo.ion that may follow will not be accoxnpaaied by aay aaclear”yield, aever~eless, the problem of contarxdaation of the immediate shop aad posafbly the lntire hip maybe so great that the zhip will be readerod -suitable for habitation until extraordlmry decoataxnination procedures ~ze
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AU tritiurn Aiprneats will be accompanied by scientific persoaad, qualified ad lq@pped for monitoring. Zhe desiga of tb. tritium containers is euch that epocial watilatioa im aot required. B is not believed that the praeacc of tritimm aboard amaircraft shoald M aay way affect the usual measues employad ia aircraft emergencies. Standard firo-fightiag ad res~ teehaiquos may be employed by airfield damago control persoaad. Crews dwWl work from upwid. The high walue of tritiuxn makes salvage de sirablc. Lithium hydride (or hydride.Mke pieces) will be cazried aboard aircsaft in sealed coatafaera. The rdiability of the packaging and the low combustibility of this material (it hmras znor* slowly than wood) indicate there is no significant (X course lithium hydride is water sensitive, liberating large quantities of hydrogen when allowed to come ia cozatactwith water. However, in any serious miehap lt aa airfield there is no reasoa why lmergency crews canaot use standard fire -fighting techaiquet, particularly for salvage and rescue vork. Any hydrogea generated out-of-doors wwld dicsipate rapidly ad eves if the hydrogea did igaite its energy contribution to a serious aircraft fire would be modest compared to the aircraft fiel. Nuclear Material Coataiaerfi These may be considered inert except whea involved in a large-scale fire. Aboard an aircraft, incipieat fire may be fought by staadard fire control techniques. Za s majos untoward hscideat that may occar on l takeoff or landing, the airfield damage control pexsonnel shoald wear respiratory protection (fullface lssault ma.ka or better) aad work fxom upwiad. The high value of these centaiaers iadicate more than usual care k their handling aad consideration for above, in discussiaa of Curtiss shipment, dealiag @th these
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Although sorno of the aqlosive componerM will he shipped tith the detonators iahtalied, it is Imlieved that this wtll not significantly iaerease the c She bees wtabliahii that my 8xfAouioaimdving HE ccnnpcmenii lswzibhd with fissionable material will aot result in eay mscl.ar yisld, Iiowewer, the genstal arss coatuninatioa will be serium aad may result ia requirbg ioolatioa of the area where the Jaciti occurred until stzcauoua decontamiaation measures 1OA- Roy Reider, LASL