title: Risk ranking of LANL nuclear material storage containers for repackaging prioritization.
abstract: Safe handling and storage of nuclear material at U.S. Department of Energy facilities relies on the use of robust containers to prevent container breaches and subsequent worker contamination and uptake. The U.S. Department of Energy has no uniform requirements for packaging and storage of nuclear materials other than those declared excess and packaged to DOE-STD-3013-2000. This report describes a methodology for prioritizing a large inventory of nuclear material containers so that the highest risk containers are repackaged first. The methodology utilizes expert judgment to assign respirable fractions and reactivity factors to accountable levels of nuclear material at Los Alamos National Laboratory. A relative risk factor is assigned to each nuclear material container based on a calculated dose to a worker due to a failed container barrier and a calculated probability of container failure based on material reactivity and container age. This risk-based methodology is being applied at LANL to repackage the highest risk materials first and, thus, accelerate the reduction of risk to nuclear material handlers.
authors: Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA.
authors: Paul H
authors: PH
authors: Smith
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Jordan
authors: Jenifer A
authors: JA
authors: Hoffman
authors: P Gary
authors: PG
authors: Eller
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Balkey
mesh_terms: D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control; D019064:Product Packaging / Q000592:standards*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000592:standards*; D011850:Radioactive Waste; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D011850:Radioactive Waste