es BateTaes tel 192 RADIOLOGICAL CLEANUP OF ENEWETAK ATOLL which guaranteed that the upwind sectors would be clear. The operational procedures for each phase of the cleanup effort at each work site were structured to Keep every individual at the site—with rare exceptions in essential cases— upwind of any possible dust. The next policy designed to keep the radiation away from the individual made use of physical barriers between the individual and the source of radiation, and decontamination to remove radioactive materials from areas where they were not desired. There werefour basic levels of personnel protection (I through IV) used at Enewetak Atoll and two sublevels within levels II and III. The levels ranged from no extra equipment (i.e., normal work clothing) to complete encapsulation of the individual within protective clothing and mask. The level required was that most appropriate for the potential hazard, andthis potential hazard was continuously evaluated at each work site on each island by the FRST personnel assigned to that site.36 Personnel protection levels are shownin Figure 4-6, and examplesareillustrated in Figures 4-7 and 4-8. The ‘‘action levels’’ noted in Figure 4-6 served as indicators of the radiological status of the situation and also as alerting points at which specific activities should occur, thus the term ‘‘action level.’’ Thefirst action level was set at one-tenth of the basic standards noted previously, and the second at one-half of the basic standards. If an action level was reached, the FRST members performed the actions specified and alerted the RPO to the potential hazard development. As a matter of basic policy, eating, drinking, and smoking were rigidly controlled to ensure that no contamination could enter the body by these routes. Likewise, careful attention was paid to any cut, wound, or break in the skin to ensure it could not become a pathway for internal contamination. During soil excision and removal operations, the greatest potential for inhalation of contaminated dust existed because of the possible resuspension of soil. The level of protective clothing worn during soil removaloperations depended onthetypeof activity in progress.3’ In cases where personnel were required to be downwind of soil moving activities and in areas where air sampling could not be adequately performed, personnel assumed level III or IV protection, depending on ground contamination levels (see Figure 4-6), and they were monitored at least hourly as well as at the completion of the operation. Decontamination is the process of removing radioactive material from personnel to eliminate further radiation exposure or from equipment to prevent the spread of radioactive material to clean areas. An individual leaving a radiation area was monitored at the hot line for contamination. Ss