Evaluation of Triage Methods for Criticality Accidents

Studies indicate that early identification of persons involved in and receiving high doses of radiation in accidents is key to providing life-saving medical treatment. Although the risk of criticality accidents is low, the potential impact to workers is significant. For facilities that employ large numbers of workers, a key element in the response to a radiological emergency is identifying personnel that received significant and potentially harmful doses. Also important is having the ability to screen large numbers of workers to identify persons who did not receive significant exposure so as to reduce the impact on emergency response efforts. At the Y-12 National Security Complex, the focus on criticality accident response is the rapid triage of personnel in order to identify persons exposed to large radiation doses and to prioritize those persons receiving the highest exposures. Once identified, personnel are transported to local medical facilities, including the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS), for medical evaluation and treatment. The Y-12 external dosimetry program uses a number of techniques to identify and prioritize workers, and these methods were evaluated at a criticality dosimetry intercomparison exercise. The methods used were shown to perform as intended, and other sites may consider incorporating these methods into their accident dosimetry response procedures.