BeigeJournal

The International Atomic Energy Agency maintains an extensive web site, with many of their publications available for download. It is not always easy to find things on the site, however. I’m sure it’s clear enough for IAEA experts who know the difference between an INFOCIRC and a TECHDOC, but it can be a bit hit-or-miss for the rest of us. The publications page is probably a good starting point. I myself find the Accident Response documents to be of particular interest. If you want quite detailed descriptions of the more notable (that is, fatal) irradiator accidents or missing/stolen big sources that got found when the sick people started turning up, this is the place.

The irradiator accidents are remarkable. As the reports say, “A feature of all fatal accidents at irradiators has been ignorance or negligence on the part of the operators of the consequences of not following the procedures.” I’m sure the designers of the facilities never imagined that operators would do the things that operators do, casually defeating the interlocks that control entry into the irradiation room. Some of the control panel and interlock designs are nothing to be proud of, either. It is clear that operators can become very complacent about the dangers of entering the irradiation chamber, something surely made worse by having to enter frequently to unjam the conveyor system. Still, if the radiation alarm is sounding one would think that extreme caution would be used. There are clearly some radiation safety training issues.