Bilan dosimétrique 1999 dans les centrales nucléaires d'EDF : commentaires et analyses

Abstract

1999 occupational dosimetry in EDF's nuclear power plants: comments and analyse. The year 1999 ended with rather positive results concerning worker dosimetry, which is constantly decreasing. The targeted objective for the year 2000 (1.2 man.Sv per reactor) was already attained in 1999 (1.17 man.Sv). However, even though the 1 300 MWe level still continues to progress, the 900 MWe level seems to marking time. In the case of individual dosimetry, even though it remained stable on the whole, nonetheless the number of workers the most strongly exposed decreased very much. These advancements should be considered as a part of the actions committed not only within the scope of optimization, but also in the reduction of shutdown periods for refueling, the extension of the fuel cycle (loading 1/4 of a core) and the revision of the maintenance policy (implementation of the optimization of reliability oriented maintenance). 1999 was the year when the initial effects of the cleanlinessplan launched in 1998 were noted. This plan has already allowed improving notably the situation in terms of contamination in the transport of spent fuel. However, the exposure incident which occurred at Tricastin, as well as other minor malfunctions, incite in us prudence and more rigor in the performance of operations related to radiation protection.