Westinghouse Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) staff responded to an operator who was exposed to dilute nitric acid (30%) on the left forearm and left foot. Employee was cleaning scrubber piping in the conversion area of the plant when exposed to the nitric acid solution containing
uranium. The employee was treated within the onsite medical facility where decontamination was performed. Medical, emergency response and health physics procedures were followed. Upon completion of the decontamination efforts, the smearable alpha reading was < 50 dpm/100 cm2 and alpha direct reading on forearm was 818 dpm/100 cm2, on foot direct alpha reading was 280 dpm/100 cm2. Medical staff recommended transfer to the hospital for further treatment. Westinghouse followed contaminated injury protocols and had the employee transported to the hospital emergency room via ambulance. A Westinghouse health physics (
HP) technician accompanied the employee to the hospital. Surveys were conducted of the ambulance and all results were below established limits. Material Safety Data Sheets for the nitric acid and
uranium were provided to the hospital in accordance with procedures. Hospital report describes injury as, 'irritation noted over the left forearm as well as over the left anterior part of the foot and dorsal part of the foot ...some mild orange discoloration noted to these areas.' Employee was monitored for a period of time, given treatment for pain, and then released from the hospital.
Immediate Actions: Initial investigation into the event is ongoing. This event has been entered into the Facility Corrective Action Process Issue # 12-115-001. Local county authorities and state authorities are aware of this event.