Radiation Protection Today - Winter 2022 Issue 4 | Page 15

volumes are minimised and the waste hierarchy is applied . During commissioning of the plant , challenges have been encountered due to airborne contamination generated during cutting activities . Improvements in air movement and clean-up procedures are being implemented as the plant moves into normal operations .

Both the SSRF and DWSP are demonstration facilities which were put into service in a short timescale inside other existing plants . The intention was to prove concepts and gain experience which can be used to inform the design of new plants in the future .
Sellafield Ltd is working to create a clean and safe environment for future generations by decommissioning high hazard facilities in a safe , but timely way . Fit-for-purpose solutions are a big part of this , but the difficulty of providing engineered controls in these solutions necessitates a greater reliance on radiation protection advice in the delivery of projects .
Other ongoing decommissioning projects
Calder Hall is working to remove six of the 16 heat exchangers which supported the four nuclear reactors when they were operational . Access to reach them with a crane will be affected by work to build a new facility , so they are being fast-tracked for removal .
Decommissioning is ongoing in some facilities where access for workers is only possible in air-fed suits , due to the presence of widespread alpha contamination . This work includes the size reduction of gloveboxes used for handling separated plutonium .
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