VESSEL CLEANING | DECONTAMINATION & DECOMMISSIONING


liners safely Stripping


Tasked with stripping a large uranium vessel of its rubber liner for decommissioning, 3-D tooling proved to be a safe and effective solution for one Canadian project


By Chris Turney, HSE Coordinator, Walco Industries Ltd.


STRIPPING A LINER OF AN unknown type of rubber from a vessel that housed a combination of acid, steam and a uranium ore product presented a major challenge in terms of removing or reducing staff exposure to radiation. The obvious main concern was to stay within the federal Canadian Nuclear Safety and Control Act limits for allowable exposure (micro-sieverts) and still complete the project within an aggressive timeframe. The complicated nature of this unique problem prompted Walco Industries Ltd, headquartered on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, to develop a novel solution for the nuclear sector.


Above: Bottom view of the tank at the start of the


washing process. The orange material visible is the saturated rubber liner and the black is bare steel


www.neimagazine.com | February 2024 | 25


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