Radiation Safety Procedures
Radiological safety was a paramount consideration of the operation and overall
was the responsibility of the US Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory (NRDL).
Radiation Safety (Rad-safe) procedures included measures to minimize exposures to
personnel,
to measure
and
evaluate
radiological
hazards
and
contaminated
areas,
to control exposures to personnel and the spread of radioactive contamination
from samples, equipment and other materials, and the documentation of levels of
exposure and contamination.
For the duration of the operation, an exposure limi-~
tation of 3.9 roentgen (R) was set.
lished
for
radioactive
water, air, ships'
In addition, levels were,specifically estab-
contamination
surfaces,
of
clothing
and
equipment and materials.
personal
equipment,
food,
An important part of the Rad-safe procedures was the personnel dosimetry program.
Nearly
all
individuals
involved
in
measure any exposure received during
the
operation
the operation.
were
issued
a
film
badge
to
Personnel whose duties were
such that exposure to radiation was possible (such as sampling water,
recovering
equipment or instruments) were issued additional film badges on a daily basis.
One of the vessels, the USS WRIGHT, contained a film processing center where
badges were read and personnel exposures were recorded.
Over the period of the
operation, approximately 10,000 film badges were issued.
These included operational, daily, calibration, and scientific project badging.
Personnel Exposures
The rad-safe procedures established for the operation were highly effective in
keeping personnel exposures to a minimum.
The following table summarizes the
recorded personnel radiation exposures at WIGWAM based upon a 1979 review of
dosimetry:
WIGWAM EXPOSURES
Exposures expressed
roentgen (R)
Total Dosimetry
Zero
Issued Unavailable Exposure
-l00.165
.200. 280
in
.
.315- 385
Badges
6,732
229
6,141
329
19
13
%
100%
3.4%
91.2%
4.9%
0.3%
0.2%
in each
group
-425
il*
0.01%
*The highest exposure was received by a member (an air sampler pilot) of the aviation support provided through Naval Air Station, San Diego.
The average exposure for the 362 WIGWAM individuals with non-zero exposures was
0.129 R, which is about the average annual exposure to naturally occurring background radiation
in the United States.
Data compiled at the time of the test indicated that operational badges showed 350
positive recorded gamma exposures with a maximum reading of 0.425 R.
This earlier
compilation indicated that the average exposure for these 350 badges was 0.132 R.
Although the results of the two data reviews differ slightly, they both confirm
that more than 90 percent of all doses at WIGWAM were zero and that recorded expoSures at WIGWAM ranged from 0.100 R to 0.425 R.
The
two
vessels
(YAG-39
and
YAG-40)
stationed
downwind
of
the
detonation
were subjected to contamination by water droplets of the base surge.
point
None of the
YAG personnel received significant exposures.
Both of these vessels had been
specially configured and shielded for the purpose of crossing contaminated areas
although only YAG-39 had a seawater washdown system.
The deck surface radiation