This "SATCOM"waslimited to one-half or one hour time periods, at a
days of the week that were rigidly scheduled by the satellite controller.
flexibility in use, the satellite radio system was immensely valuable
guidance on policy or technical matters, ordering urgently needed
supplies, making logistic arrangements, ete.
fixed time, on certain
In spite of this lack of
for obtaining prompt
replacement parts or
When the reception signals were strong enough,
data and written text could be transmitted in either direction by telecopier.
Hazards and Safety
Being located at 11°N latitude (only 660 nautical miles north of the equator), Enewetak Atoll
confronted project workers with a number of environmental factors requiring due recognition and
precaution. Intense sunlight could cause severe sunburn or even heatstroke to the unwary. The high
humidity (normally about 80 percent RH), combined with daytime temperatures of 90°F or higher,
was debilitating, and personnel were required to pace themselves during physical activity.
Daily tasks frequently required travel by boat between islands. The smaller boats, e.g., Boston
Whalers, usually traveled at high speed across choppy water. This mode of travel was physically
abusive and tiring because the boats continually slammed down hard as they dropped into troughs
between waves.
The lagoon was shallow near some of the islands—especially to the northwest.
Unless the tide was
high in such locations, the boats sometimes could not land on the beach, making it necessary for
passengers to wade ashore from perhaps as much as 100 meters out. This was not a pleasant task in
waters inhabited by sharks, although there were no incidents of shark attack during such landing or
pickup operations.
Travel by small boat also had other hazards. The small boat dock at Enewetak was stationary, i.e., it
did not have a floating landing stage. When the tide was low, the difference in height from boat
deek to dock required a sizable step or leap which was frequently hazardous due to swell and surge
moving the boat. Conversely, at Ursula, there was a floating landing stage, but much of the time
there was no gangwayto the shore and a leap to or from wet, slippery, slanted rocks was required. A
number of ERSP personnel suffered injuries during small boat landings, but fortunately none of the
injuries was very serious.
An unusual hazard encountered on a few islands was colonies of wasps. Several times work had to be
suspended because of the wasps menacing workers.
The most severe hazards were posed by the fierce tropical storms and typhoonsthat visited the area
occasionally in fall and winter. Violent winds and ocean waves flooding low areas during some of the
storms did considerable damage to buildings, power lines and other facilities. Two hazards on these
occasions merit special mention: coconuts blown from palm trees and airborne sheet metal roofing
and siding torn from buildings were very hazardous to personnel. During these storms all persons
were ordered to remain indoors, preferably in substantial, well-anchored buildings, on high ground,
away from the shoreline.
(This was theoretically the best kind of shelter to seek, but there were
almost no locations on the Atoll meeting all of these criteria!) A checklist of precautions to be
taken to protect personnel, equipment, facilities and data was developed by ERSP for use when
typhoon alerts occurred.
Radiological safety for all cleanup project participants was managed by the JTG. An elaborate
radiation protection program was conducted as a matter of policy even though the radiological
hazards to personnel were very small In addition, the ERSP undertook a numberof radiation safety
measures pertaining to the radiation laboratory operations, e.g., see ERSP procedures in Appendix A.
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