Date: 13 August 1991

Location: Forbach, France

Type of event: accident at industrial irradiator

Description:

An accident occurred at an electron accelerator irradiator used to treat granulated polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon). Three workers entered the irradiation room using the exit and were exposed to the dark current: the accelerator was switched off but accelerator voltage was still on, the result of a decision to save time. Exposure rate was between 10 and several hundred rad per second (compared to a maximum 8 megarad/second when the accelerator is on). The three received localized doses, one severe enough to produce skin legions. The skin doses were estimated at 4,000 rem (whole body dose 100 rem in this case) for the worker with the worst injury and 900 and 500 rem for the other two workers.

Consequences: 3 injuries.

References:

• Bourgois, L., J. C. Zerbib, and D. Delacroix, "The Forbach accident--what is the situation now: Do we really use feedback experience?", on line, EAN [http://ean.cepn.asso.fr/pdf/program2/29%20BOURGOIS.pdf].
• Nenot, J.-C., 2002, "Second Henri Jammet Memorial Lecture. Radiation accidents--an overview and feedback, 1950-2000," in 8th Coordination Meeting of World Health Organization Collaborating Centres in Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network, REMPAN, WHO [http://www.helid.desastres.net/?e=d-000who--000--1-0--010---4-----0--0-10l--11en-5000---50-about-0---01131-001-110utfZz-8-0-0&a=d&cl=CL1.6&d=Js2993e.4].
• Ortiz, P., M. Oresegun, and J. Wheatley, 2000, "Lessons from major radiation accidents," on line, International Radiation Protection Association [http://www.irpa.net/irpa10/cdrom/00140.pdf].
• UNSCEAR, 2000, "Annex E: Occupational radiation exposures," in Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation: United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation UNSCEAR 2000 Report to the General Assembly, with Scientific Annexes, Volume I: Sources, UNSCEAR, on line at UNSCEAR [http://www.unscear.org/docs/reports/annexe.pdf].

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Last modified 23 September 2007.
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