exposures exceeding the maximum permissable precluded.
Pre-shot safety planning was accomplished for each event to insure
that men, material and facilities would not be subjected to avoidable
hazards,
Of prime consideration was the threat of radioactive fall-out
resulting from the detonations,
Prior to each test event a predicted
fall-out area was established and only when this area was clear of inhabited locations was the detonation executed.
Of the shot delays encountered
during Operation HARDTACK, more than ninety per cent were due to undesir-
able fall-out indications.
These fall-out areas were posted in the Air
Operations Center so that controllers could keep aircraft clear of the
danger areas.
Pre-shot planning also dealt with damage predictions con-
cerning blast, heat and water action.
On two (2) events at Eniwetok and
one (1) event at Bikini it was necessary to evacuate liaison type aircraft
to preclude blast damage and on one (1) event it was necessary to require
complete body covering for all personnel to preclude the possibility of
burns.
A constant program was pursued to insure that no dne observed
detonations with his naked eyes. The possibility of retinal’ burns constituted a continual threat through the entire operation.
Through danage
predication and the precautionary neasures dictated by these predictions,
no unplanned damage occurred to aircraft and only minor damages were inflicted on base facilities,
The mdst difficult Task Group 7.) radiological problems of the operation existed in the support of the cloud sampling program,
Prior to the
operation and based on the scheduled number of detonations planned for
HARDTACK, maximum permissable exposures of ten (10) roentgens equivalent
man (rem) for cloud sampling and effects aircrews and five (5) rem for all
AFWL/ND
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