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These boots were made for savings
It's both feet in for a team in Decommissioning as they develop their 'cover shoe' concept.
With a potential saving of approximately £4 million over the four year life of the project, the operators from Decommissioning's Alpha Team at the Plutonium Storage and Finishing Facility saw an opportunity to reduce Plutonium Contaminated Material (PCM), disposal costs and environmental impact.
After each standard controlled area entry, operators leave behind their rubber boots, creating more PCM. With about 20 entries per week, it was estimated an additional 2,500, 200-litre drums would be generated over the lifetime of this project... just for boots!
Work wear specialists Romar helped the Decommissioning operators develop their idea. Various prototypes were trialled at the work face and discussed at safety committees. After several modifications, operators had a PVC 'cover shoe' comprising three layers and forming a barrier against contamination.
The rubber boot can now be reused and the 'cover shoe' disposed of as PCM. With a lifetime cost of around £4,000 per drum, this process reduces the amount of drums per week by five.
Team member, Gerry Lynch, said: "It's great to be working with the end result after many years of planning. With such huge potential to save thousands and reduce PCM we would like to see the idea go site wide. The seven of us involved are pleased it's finally getting its deserved recognition."
Project manager, Steve Allington, added: "This idea was originated from the decommissioning operators themselves, so their contribution and openness throughout the trials and modifications has been invaluable. It's a credit to their commitment to see the end result. We hope other projects will welcome this innovative idea."
