TA-55 Plutonium Gloved Enclosure Seal Replacement

Los Alamos Lab, TA-55 Plutonium gloved enclosures with leaking window and interconnecting spool gaskets.
Previous repair attempts resulted in release of plutonium and evacuation/cleanup. Defense nuclear safety board calls hearings on incidents.
Personnel not properly trained, improper usage of containments and air flow controls.

RPS goes on-site with a radiological engineer to evaluate and resolve problems with PU gloved enclosure maintenance operations.
Review PU gloved enclosure configurations for design of special radiological containments.
Proposed modifications to gloved enclosures to accommodate special containments.
Designed and manufactured 14 unique containments for gasket replacement.
Wrote procedures incorporating containments into TA-55 maintenance program.
Mockup trained TA-55 technicians in proper installation, operation, and removal of containments.
Supervised first real plutonium gloved enclosure repair using new containments.
Successfully replaced leaking gaskets on 6 gloved enclosures.
TA-55 incorporates containment usage as standard maintenance procedure.