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. 82