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Declassified record · U.S. Department of Energy

Protecting Health and Minimizing Danger to Life or Property Are Specific Responsibilities of the AEC in the Conduct of Its Activities Which Carry Out the Intent of the Law

Dated
Apr 21, 1955
Document type
Report
Length
13 pages
Open the original scanArchive record OSTI ID 16125941 · public domain

Document text

Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.

Page 1

HEALTH AND SAFETY PRGTECTING HEALTH !,MI E IN IMI ZING DANGER TO LIFE OR PFiOECRTY are specific resp on sibi lit i.es of the AEC in the conduct of its activities which carry out the intent of the law. 1 AE Act of 1954 The AEC: shall encourage and facilitate the elimination o r control of all. accident, fire, health, and occupational hazards associated wit,h its activities in order t o maintain the health of employees rad prevent injury, sickness, disease, death, work interruption,fire damage, and destruction of equipment, mate rids, Comprehensive , continuous preventive and protective program s h a l l be developed and maintained as zppropriate throughout a11 activities and operations subject to direction or control by the 1. Stimulate the interest and assure the participation of manazement, supervisors 2nd other personnel i n health, safety, and fire prevention and protection, and public 2. Consider the unique health and safety problems of commuriities ,plants, proce s ses , weapons development and production, an6 radioactive materials for which AEC i s

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CONTRACTS will include adequate safety provisions whenever safety and u protection of property are of direct concern tothe AEC. Contractors will be encouraged and assisted in carrying out their safety and fire protection responsibilities, Operations contracts contain clauses, negotiated tofit the conditions of the particular operating agreement. The construction contract safety clause refers t o gilides and regulztions for minimum safety provision i n buildings, construction, equipment, and practices. Essentially these are the same standards developed by the American Standards Association, National Bureau of Standards, NatioLnal Safety Council, Natisnal F i r e Protec tion Association, end other national standardizing bodies. Special z s sistance will be given t o contrectors working eth new processes and new and hasa-dous materials. Sec 31c and 4lb AE A c t of 1954; tion of the safety cspects of ;? proposed rc actor fsc ili ty,or of a significant modificatFon of existing reactor facilities can be accomplished only as each proposed facility is examined specifically in relation to its construction, surroundings, and proposed method for the evalm-Lion of the hazards and establishes a procedure for obtaining a review of such information. EC identifies the information which is necessary

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HEALTH Anal SAFETY Safety ar,d Fire Protection shall be used as basic guides tothe physical aspects of sa.fety and fire protection and t o safe working practices. They are zpplicable t o design, construction, operation, or protection activities ccndccted by A X personnel o r perforned for AEC by contractors whose accident, experience mi! safety program are of direct conThe codes and stan6ards specified by AEC cover the major problems of sz fe ty and fire protection. They establish a level of performance that will serve 3sa guide i n other problems not covered direct Jy. Gther standards crnployed 'cy AEC shall meet If there are differences between these codes and State or local codes, the requirenents providing the greater protection It i s riot intended that exist hg physical facilities be arbitrarily changed t o comply W;,th tifie codes and standards specidesirability of changes, and shall be used when a program of modification or replacement has been determined. Guides t o supplement those specified by AEC will be developed 2nd distributed separately on subjects that cannot be covered by reference t o recognized existing codes.

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It i s the d.esire of AEC to establish and maintain, atU minimum cost, a standard for municipal fire protection ata level equal tothe covergge maintained by the unper quart ile of cities in similar population groups. AEC specifies the codes, standards, and guides applicable to fire protection functions It is the policy of AEC to establish and maintain a standard of industrial fire protection equivalent tothe standard for facilities enjoying a so-called "improved-risk" classification i n the fire insurance trade. P, higher standard of fire protection is justified at those AEC facilities where national security or public effect f z ctor s, or both, constitute important AEC res ? on sibi li ties. It isthe policy of AEC t o reduce motor vehicle accidents t o E Ill;inimm and maintain low operating costs. motor vehicles of the AEC 2nd its contractors shall meet qu ali fic a - tions and emmin-ition requirements established by Operations Offices t o meet their individual needs which shall be in addition to those established by AEC as minimum requirements f o r 211 Operations Offices and Area Offices. without a valid AEC Motor Vehicle Operator's Fermit. Xo person shsll operatc a Federal motor vehicle Standards for examining acd licensing regular and incidental drivers are parallel in many respects since the purpose of the stsndard isto provide safe opsration of all vehicles. Only those

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requirements that are necessary for steasy or difficult driving, U or for driving heavy equipment, are reduced for incidental

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HEALTH AND SAFETY BASIC GUIDES FOR RADIATION PROTECTION shall be specified by A X , The AEC has the clear responsibility for informing the people of the dangers of ra diz tion and possesses the info m tion needed for an active program of public education on hazards related Implementation: KdC Yan u al 0522 In -.---c ivil defense matters, AECts chief responsibility is t o supply t o the Federal Civil Defense Gchinistration, the Departnznt of Dei'ense, aEd other interested egencies and t o the public pertinent infor,mtion on the effects of etomic ma>onF on humans, animlc, fcod, plants, and structures for civil defense planning. &XXII;TIOnT EXFEURE will be kept at an absolute minimum whenever possible.l7A To provide absolute protection against all levels of radiation would be prohibitively expensive i n terms of massive shielding and restrictive opera.ting procedures. On the other hand, the he sl th of prs on nel must not be endangered by exposure above safe

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No worker shall be allowed t o receive more t.han three-tenths U of one roentgen (0.3 r) i n any week. This i s an average of 0.05 roentgen per working day, or an annual exposure of 15 roentgens. Though much larger rates of exposure are harmless i f not continued too long, the !EC has adopted a policy of limiting exposures whenever possible to a total of not more than 3.9 roentgens over z period of tbiytcen weeks, arp rox in at ely the length of a vea,ons test period. The whole-body g mm effective bio logic el dose for off - site populations should not exceed 3.9 roentgens ovcr a period of one year. 1 8th SAR, July 1950, pp. 11 and 23 U t h SAR, July 1953, p. 69; also Levels of o ern is sib le exposure are adjusted aE res..arcb give? clearer lndicationc of the amounts o€ various types of r diet ion, bot,h inter ncl and external, which the humin body can accent ovt rlc ng Tcrioes tdthout; harm. Upward adjustpent of ke ka-rmlesz. In the a ben ce of exact, ccjmplete knowledge, the X C adopted throirghout thc yogrm. those standards that Irere believed t o insure against harm from radiation, and made its contractors responsible for conf erming vith these stand art?^.

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UThe AEC:, acting through its Division of Biology and Indicine, has prirnzry responsibility for fixing standerc!s of wztcliing over -r-c'iation safety thro up h out the enter?rise. However, the AGC believes th st radiation limits should be set by 2 national standardizing agency. on Ee diz tion Protection & vises on the levels of exposure t o nie6.ations Ere published from time to tia e '03; the NGtional -3 Pemrks by Er. , Biology and Council, Ikcw York, .?/23/55; E st,abli.shed ox re ting criteria for the conduct of atomic tcstinp, activi.ties atthe Heyadz Test Site will. be observed. the public-- during weapons testing z.t Nevada Test Site were eTtaSiished aftpr full considerzticn for the health and xelfzre 'The Committee includes representatives from the National Eureau of Stondards, the Fublic Health Service, the JJC, and from profeesional groups of radiologists an6 X-ray workers,

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of the public, koth Ui n terms of r2dio logical exposure as well as possible hazar<s, hardships, or inconveniences resulting fro a disruption of' normal activities. A RLDISITION MONITORIKG system i s maintzined across the country during I 2nd ,the public Icy de ten e ning the radioactivity deposited i n various localities by fall - out following test detonations. Institutions or industries engaged in activities sensitive t o very low levels of radiatior. 2re informe6 of veapons test series and of in divi dml shots 'cy published advisories and reports Liaison is mint al ned 16th the Nctional Associztion of Photographic [k:iufacturers, and all feasible steps ,,illLe talken by AFX to dec rws e the ef lects on the photographlc in6urtry c?€ radioactive cont-mination from atorcic veapons tests. Representat i v e s of the ghctographic inciustry are given informl'tion and assistance t o enzbie the industry t o make prep a rst ions to protect against radioactive cont mim ti or2. information on future tc st dates to enable purchases of uncontaminated mtc rids to ke pl2:ncd. Finally, they Lre given information yromptly after en ch test on the expected distribution They are also eivcn advame "The monitori.ng system also provides meteorological data and other in for nation nececsary for the evaluation of nuclear weapons effects and guidance of sensitive industries such as radiation instrument

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of radioactive material in order to anticipate local contamina- mc: tion and take preventive action where called for. --Instruments for radiation measurement for the most partU will be manufe.ctured by industrial firms. AEC will provide technical assistrince and guidance to indus tri zl groups, sponsor the exchange of instrument information, an6 maintein liaison with various indus tzi zl associations and aro fess ional societies in an attempt t o stzndardize instruments end critical components. The progrun baed on tke policy of reliance on corn-ercial sources for radiation instruiientztion 112.s designed t o : encourage the growth of a competitive rze-iciticn instrument industry ; rec?uce the manufacture of instruments within ?"&Xl zb oratories ; reduce overlcpping i n reseerch 2nd develcpwnt programs by providinz for the interchange of instrument?t ion tcchniques and data mong the various AEC installations. PADIATIOM SAFETY is under the direct control of AEC I s operating contractors arld i s the responsibility of ~.lloperzting

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THE FBLEASE OF 1NDUSTF.IP.L WASTES from atomic energy installations is rigidly limited as t o kind and quzntity, and their dischargewhere they 5re neleased ai; all - - i s continuously and carefully metered and regulated. Specifications and methods for safe handling of radioactive wastes are developed by the sanitary engineering and chemical engineering groups i n yhe Sr;C. tion to eviiluate the impact cf' its prograx! on other sad to take every reasonable precaution t o prevent release of hazardous effluents to the soil, to surface waterways, and to the air. In solving the problem of handling cf rz dio active wastes safely,the AEC relies heavily upon the in divi dml progrms of its prime contractors.In addition, it draws cr,on the talents and knowledge of s,rjecialized industrial consultants tr:.i Eed i n engineerof other Federal, State and local agencies Is en bq or trn t factor. The cooperz.tion and active. per tic ip z tion It is t o the advantage of the %C t o establisk ;? sound re lzt ions h lp ?,iith public azcncie s having res ~ on s it il it yfor control over industrial m ste disposal. SomE actions which will- contribute t o the establishment of such relationship are : 1. et:-site selection contacts with security cleared public off ici zl s responsible for wzter su??ly, wzste disposal End envirormental san it rti on.

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Visits to the plants during construction and after c operation by technical experts representing responsib1.e public agencies, Federcl, State, and loczl. Es tzi blis he nt of t reining programs for represent et ives of public agencies s o tl-iey my better understend the never problems of the atomic energy id us try and thus be able t o assist and zdvise this industry as it does other industries In matters of mter supply, waste as t o permissible lin its of cont mim tion with outside officials of re pc sent at ive 2ublic agencies. It would be t o the advzntege of t h c atomic energy industry to have such standards rather than those of Fkdioactive Wastes Inthe Ltomic Emrgj ? rogrm)

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IES-Bad-t:y-pr oduct IK be rial In carrying out it? statutory rcs a on si kili ties rc li ting to U and use of x dio is c to pes,an advisory r"icld servic? and the training 6 - pli cations r cadres th3tthe physician, rko1ril - i ilse or directly