Safety Assessment for the Management of Disused Radioactive Sources from the Irradiation Facility Product I in Cuba

The Food Irradiation Plant, type Product I from the former Soviet Union, was put into operation in Cuba in 1987, in the Research Institute for Food Industry. It was used for irradiation of foodstuffs and other types of products. The facility was initially charged in 1987 with 52 Co-60 radioactive sources, with total activity of 2.50E+15 Bq (67.6 kCi). It was necessary to remove the disused radioactive sources from the irradiator in order to allow the recharge of the facility with new radioactive sources. The disused sources were temporary transferred to the reserve pit, located in the same facility. The safety assessment carried out for this operation is presented in this paper. It included the dose estimations for normal operations and potential doses in accidental situations. Several postulated events were considered. The initiating events were identified, as well as the associated risks and safety barriers. The safety assessment was presented to the Regulatory Body as part of the documentation for license application. (author)