Efficiency Bulletins

EB 16-03: Align Personnel Contamination Event Response to Industry Guidance

This bulletin will result in greater efficiency by ensuring the response to very low levels of personnel radiological contamination is commensurate with the health risk to workers and the public. 

Level 1 Personnel Contamination Events (PCEs), the lowest contamination event on an industry scale, present little health risk to workers or the public. After a level 1 PCE, workers are restricted from re-entering radiologically controlled areas (such as the reactor building) on the plant site and management begins an investigation into the event. Detailed documentation must also be completed and corrective action developed. Under the revised approach, companies would follow industry guidance for responses to level 1 PCEs that requires decontamination, logging and periodic review of the log for program improvements. The elimination of unnecessary requirements and actions associated with a level 1 PCE will allow personnel to focus on more significant activities and reduce administrative burden. 

Level 1 PCEs will continue to be tracked and summarized at the end of a plant outage or year. If the frequency of Level 1 PCEs is above industry metrics or indicates a negative trend, a more detailed analysis will be required. 

Target implementation date: Utility discretion; consistent with business environment.