 INES 0 |
SLIGHT CONTAMINATION AT THE NUCLAR ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION CENTRE OF DAMPIERRE |
Unit 1 of Dampierre NPP is shutdown since the end of July for refuelling and various maintenance and control actions on the equipment. During maintenance, workers from EDF and outside companies have been slightly contaminated by radioactive iodine.
The maximum contamination observed was less than 1/30 of the maximum quantity authorized per year. To be on the safe side, the medical service of the plant is performing routine control tests on the people working inside the reactor building.
The State Office of Radio-Protection has been informed and is performing its own verifications.
The maintenance works in the reactor building have been interrupted immediately and will be resumed only when the working conditions will have returned to normal. This incident had no consequences on the environment.
On 15 August 1994, the first results can be provided concerning the light contamination which occurred in the reactor building of Unit 1 of the Dampierre NPP, which was shut down for annual maintenance. The medical service of the power plant has checked all persons affected, workers from EDF and from outside. Summarizing table: Number of persons checked (anthropogammametry) 650; contaminated persons 62 (with doses between 1 and 3% of the authorized annual limit: 55, with doses equivalent to 3% of the authorized annual limit: 7).
These results indicate that all persons examined have received a maximum dose corresponding to an X-ray of the lungs, which is too low to be detected by the control systems at the exit of the building. The power plant will, in cooperation with DRIRE, carry out an analysis which will allow to determine the exact origin of the contamination and to ascertain that this situation will not occur again.
On Monday, normal working conditions have been reestablished in the reactor building and, on approval of the plant medical serive, the personnel is resuming maintenance works again. This incident has no consequences whatsoever with regard to the safety of installations and the environment.
Event date: Thu, 11-08-1994
