Worker Exposed to Radioactive Substances at Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant During Routine Maintenance
News Article: Contamination Incident at Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant
A worker at France's Gravelines nuclear power plant was contaminated by a radioactive particle during a control operation in unit number 1 of the power plant. The incident, which occurred in July 2020, has been classified as a significant radiation protection event of level 2 on a scale of 7.
According to Électricité de France (EDF), the life of the affected worker is not in danger. The reactor was shut down for maintenance at the time of the incident, ensuring that no off-site radiation was released.
The incident involved a breach in radiation protection measures, resulting in external contamination being detected on the worker's neck after their intervention. The worker was immediately attended to by the medical service at the power plant and will not be able to work for several months due to exceeding their annual maximum exposure dose.
The classification as a Level 2 event indicates it involved a problem with the radiation protection arrangements or monitoring but did not severely exceed the facilities’ safety margins. Unfortunately, there is no detailed information available about the exact technical causes or the precise nature of the incident.
The internal investigation has found that the service provider did not adhere to all precautionary rules during the operation. It is believed that this non-compliance contributed to the worker's contamination.
Fortunately, no other workers present at the same time in the building were contaminated. The classification of the incident as a level 2 significant radiation protection event implies a higher level of concern and response than a level 1 event.
Gravelines, one of France’s major nuclear plants, all events there are monitored and classified by the French nuclear regulator ASN. Level 2 incidents involve an exposure or potential exposure of workers or the environment exceeding operational limits but not reaching serious consequences.
For context, Level 2 incidents are usually meaning there was an exposure or potential exposure of workers or the environment exceeding operational limits but not reaching serious consequences. The event was significant enough to be recorded publicly but not accompanied by detailed reports in the open sources searched.
A French worker's contamination at the Gravelines nuclear power plant, though not a threat to their life, led to an extended leave from the workplace-wellness sector due to exceeding the annual maximum exposure dose from the health-and-wellness perspective. Despite this, the service provider's non-adherence to precautionary rules during the operation contributed to the incident, which was classified as a level 2 significant radiation protection event, indicating a higher level of concern and response than a level 1 event in French science and nuclear safety regulations.
