Project Scope:

• Los Alamos Lab, TA-55 Plutonium gloved enclosures with leaking window and interconnecting spool gaskets.
• Previous repair attempts resulted in release of plutonium and evacuation/cleanup.  Defense nuclear safety board calls hearings on incidents.
• Personnel not properly trained, improper usage of containments and air flow controls.

Description:

• RPS goes on-site with a radiological engineer to evaluate and resolve problems with PU gloved enclosure maintenance operations.
• Review PU gloved enclosure configurations for design of special radiological containments.
• Proposed modifications to gloved enclosures to accommodate special containments.
• Designed and manufactured 14 unique containments for gasket replacement.
• Wrote procedures incorporating containments into TA-55 maintenance program.
• Mockup trained TA-55 technicians in proper installation, operation, and removal of containments.
• Supervised first real plutonium gloved enclosure repair using new containments.
• Successfully replaced leaking gaskets on 6 gloved enclosures.
• TA-55 incorporates containment usage as standard maintenance procedure.