Radiation protection aspects of repairing a highly contaminated tritium cold box

Radiation protection aspects of modifying a system exposed to tritium gas are discussed. This paper includes a brief discussion of the tritium gas and tritium surface contamination hazards associated with a facility designed to detritiate heavy water. Also described are the protective equipment, dosimetry, instrumentation, contamination control, and decontamination procedures used during welding of tubes that have been exposed to almost pure tritium gas. Absorption of the tritium gas on materials resulted in exposures to high peak concentrations of tritium oxide and high levels of tritium surface contamination (TSC).