Radiation exposures for DOE and DOE contractor employees, 1984. Seventeenth annual report

A total of 89,526 DOE and DOE contractor employees were monitored for whole-body ionizing radiation exposures in 1984. This represents 53.9% of all DOE and DOE contractor employees and is an increase (1243) from the number of employees monitored in 1983. In addition to the employees, 88,214 visitors were monitored. Of all employees monitored, 52.8% received a dose equivalent that was less than measurable, 45.4% a measurable exposure less than 1 rem, and 1.8% an exposure greater than 1 rem. The exposure received by 93.4% of the visitors to DOE facilities was less than measurable. Only 6.6% of the visitors received a measurable exposure less than 1 rem, and 0.01% of the visitors received an exposure greater than 1 rem. No employees or visitors received a dose equivalent greater than 5 rem. The collective dose equivalent for DOE and DOE contractor employees was 7926 person-rem. The collective dose equivalent for visitors was 352 person-rem. The total dose equivalent for employees and visitors combined was 8278 person-rem. The average dose equivalent for all individuals (employees and visitors) monitored was 47 mrem, and the average dose equivalent for all individuals who received a measurable exposure was 172 mrem. The highest average dose equivalent for all monitored individuals was observed at fuel fabrication facilities (258 mrem), and the lowest was observed for visitors (4 mrem) to DOE facilities. These averages are significantly less than the DOE 5-rem/year radiation protection standard for whole-body exposures. One new case of internal deposition was reported in 1984. The deposition was less than 50% of the annual dose-equivalent standard. The internal deposition was the result of an accidental, not planned, exposure. Six other cases reported during 1984 were considered to be the continued tracking of previous depositions