A Safety System for Human Radiation Protection and Guidance in Extreme Environmental Conditions

Abstract

We present a safety system designed to ensure human radiation protection and provide real-time guidance in extreme environmental conditions. This system was developed and tested in the complex experimental infrastructure of the ATLAS underground cavern at CERN, where personnel safety is crucial, especially during maintenance periods. Safety in such environments is challenging and extremely important due to the high complexity of the working space, the radioactivity, and the stress that people experience. The safety system we propose consists of three sub-systems: a data acquisition (DAQ) system, a control system (CS), and a remote monitoring system (MS). The DAQ system acquires data wirelessly from various environmental and biological sensors installed in the outfit of the user. The CS controls and creates alerts to warn the user in case of emergency. The MS is developed to remotely supervise the health status of the personnel and provide real-time guidance during the performance of complex activities inside the ATLAS cavern. Radiation background monitoring is also achieved through the MS via the communication of the DAQ system with a gamma camera placed in the cavern. This system is developed to supervise multiple interventions and communicate with numerous users in real time, and it is adaptable to various extreme environmental conditions.