Fluor Idaho has ordered certain work to temporarily stop while it investigates an employee puncture injury Tuesday at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at the Energy Department’s Idaho Site.
The employee was injured while doing cleanup tasks in a glove box at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP), DOE said in a Thursday news release. Fluor Idaho is the contractor for the Idaho Cleanup Project.
The worker, who was wearing personnel protective equipment, felt a prick in the forearm after reaching across the glove-box tray. The employed stopped work and found a puncture had penetrated the protective equipment.
Medical attention, including radiological monitoring, was provided. “The employee was released back to work and will continue to be monitored,” DOE said in the release.
Fluor Idaho has started an investigation and declared a “stop work” on radiological work in glove boxes and in other radiologically contaminated that involve the use of sharp tools. The release did not indicate if the order is site-wide, how many employees were affected by this action, or if they would be doing other work in the meantime.
A glove box is a sealed container that allows workers to insert their hands, within protective gear, and manipulate radioactive or hazardous materials within the container. The exact role of the glove box at AMWTP was not specified in the release.
Fluor Idaho said it is reviewing its personal protective equipment and work methods. The Energy Department is monitoring the situation the investigation, the federal agency said.
Fluor Idaho could not be reached for additional comment.
