Battelle Team 

Dose Reconstruction 

Project for NIOSH

Document Title: 

Site Profiles for Atomic Weapons Employers that Worked 

Uranium and Thorium Metals 

Appendix AS – Copperweld Steel Co. 

Document Number: Battelle-TBD-6000 

Appendix AS

Revision: 0 

Effective Date: 7/16/2007 

Type of Document: TBD Appendix

Supersedes: None 

Subject Experts: R.I. Scherpelz, J.D. Catalano 

Document Owner 

Approval: Signature on file Approval Date: 6/28/2007 

Robert I. Scherpelz, Staff Scientist 

Approval Signature on file Approval Date: 6/28/2007 

Jay A. MacLellan, Battelle PNWD Task Manager 

Concurrence: Signature on file Concurrence Date: 6/28/2007 

Richard J. Traub, Staff Scientist 

Approval: Signature on file Approval Date: 7/16/2007 

James W. Neton, Associate Director of Science 

 New Total Rewrite Revision Page Change 

FOR DOCUMENTS MARKED AS A TOTAL REWRITE, REVISION, OR PAGE CHANGE, REPLACE THE PRIOR 

REVISION AND DISCARD / DESTROY ALL COPIES OF THE PRIOR REVISION. 
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; 

Appendix AS 

Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 7/16/2007 Page 2 

Copperweld Steel Company 

AS.1 Introduction 

This document serves as an appendix to Battelle-TBD-6000, Site Profiles for Atomic 

Weapons Employers that Worked Uranium and Thorium Metals. This appendix 

describes the results of document research specific to this site, the Copperweld Steel 

Company of Warren, Ohio. Where specific information is lacking, research into similar 

facilities described in the body of this Site Profile is used. 

AS.2 Site Description 

The Copperweld Steel Company of Warren, Ohio straightened and outgassed a large 

number of rods for use in the Oak Ridge and Hanford reactors. 1

AS.2.1 Site Activities 

From May through August, 1943, the Copperweld Steel Co. straightened and outgassed 

approximately 3000 uranium rods for the Oak Ridge and Hanford reactors. To 

accomplish this work, the rods were packed into 10" diameter steel tubes. The ends of the 

steel tubes were capped, leaving small openings at either end. In order to "outgas" 

hydrogen from the uranium rods, argon gas was passed through the steel tubes while they 

were heated in a furnace to 1200o

F. Heating took approximately 6 hours, after which the 

rods were removed from the steel tubes, cooled slightly, straightened using a special 

machine, and boxed for shipment. According to site documents reviewed, operations 

were carried out on an irregular schedule with three crews of 17 men each.2

 

No documentation was found indicating that workers exposed to AEC-related radioactive 

materials were exposed to other sources of radiation. 

AS.2.2 Job Categories 

The exposure assessment job categories include:

Plant Floor High (Involved directly in straightening, or other machining operations) 

Plant Floor Low (Involved in support of machining operations or in heating/melting 

operations) 

Supervisor (Assumed to spend some time in the production areas) 

Clerk (Assumed to have minimal exposure) 

AS.3 Occupational Medical Dose 

No information regarding occupational medical dose specific to Copperweld Steel 

Company was found. Nevertheless, information to be used in dose reconstructions for 

which no specific information is available is provided in ORAUT-OTIB-0006, the dose 

reconstruction project technical information bulletin covering diagnostic x-ray 

procedures. 
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; 

Appendix AS 

Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 7/16/2007 Page 3 

AS.4 Occupational Internal Dose 

No sampling data were found in the site research database for activities taking place 

during the AWE period at this facility. Therefore, default exposure levels found in Table 

7.5 of this TBD should be used (this table contains exposure levels associated with 

straightening operations). Based on the documentation in the file, the straightening 

machine produced the highest exposure levels, by far.3

 According to documents in the 

site research database, straightening and outgassing operations took place for 3 months 

during 1943. The work was reportedly irregular in schedule. However, since no specific 

dates were listed, the favorable assumption was made that work took place continuously 

for four months (May 1-August 31, 1943). 

Other job categories should be scaled as follows for internal exposures: 

• Plant floor low—50% of plant floor high exposure 

• Supervisor—25% of plant floor high exposure 

• Clerical—10% of supervisor exposure (2.5% of plant floor high) 

Tables AS.2 and AS.3 contain inhalation and ingestion intakes in terms for pCi per day 

for each job category and each year. 

AS.5 Occupational External Dose 

There was no information in the site research database with respect to external exposures. 

Although documentation in the file indicates that dust sampling and radiation surveys had 

been performed, and that employees involved in handling the rods wore film badges, the 

results of these surveys were not found in the site research database. 

Given the lack of contemporaneous survey data, external doses from airborne 

contamination and surface contamination are calculated based on airborne contamination 

levels as described above. This Battelle TBD provides guidance for calculating external 

doses associated with submersion and surface loading based on airborne contamination 

levels (which, as described in the previous section, are also estimated based on default 

values found on Table 7.5). 

The uranium rods themselves would also constitute another source of external exposure 

during the AWE work at this facility. Operators handling the rods would receive external 

exposures from the betas and gammas emitted from the uranium. Methods described in 

Section 6 of this TBD were used to estimate whole body and skin doses from handling 

uranium metal. 

Tables AS.4 and AS.5 contain external doses associated with the work at this facility. 

AS.6 Residual Contamination 

The NIOSH “Report on Residual Radioactive and Beryllium Contamination at Atomic 

Weapons Employer Facilities and Beryllium Vender Facilities” indicates that: “...there is 

little potential for significant residual contamination outside the period in which 

weapons-related production occurred.”4
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Appendix AS 

Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 7/16/2007 Page 4 

AS.7 References 

1. DOE Office of Health, Safety and Security, EEOICPA web site. 

http://www.hss.energy.gov/healthsafety/fwsp/advocacy/faclist/findfacility.cfm 

2. Memorandum to Dr. Warren, Chief of Medical Section, Manhattan District, 

Rochester, NY, from John L. Perry, 20 September, 1943. Reference No. 16606. 

3. Ibid. 

4. Report on Residual Radioactive and Beryllium Contamination at Atomic Weapons 

Employer Facilities and Beryllium Vender Facilities. 

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas/pdfs/tbd/rescon/rcontam1206.pdf 

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas/pdfs/tbd/rescon/appen-a2.pdf

. 
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; Appendix AS Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 7/16/2007 

Table AS.1 INTERNAL DOSE PATHWAYS - Inhalation of Airborne Radionuclides Assumptions: Operational Period Daily Weighted Average Air Concentration, Plant Floor High: 1690 dpm/m3

Residual Period Daily Weighted Average Air Concentration: Not applicable TBD GSD Default is 5 Conversion Factor: 2.22 dpm/pCi Breathing Rate: 1.2 m^3/hour All intakes and doses assume full-time employment for the given year. 

Job Category Year 

Operation 

Phase Hr/Yr 

Relevant 

Nuclide 

Intake 

(pCi/d) GSD TBD Reference or Research Justif

Plant Floor High 1943 Operations 670 U234 1.68E+03 5.0 TBD-6000 Table 7.5 Plant Floor Low 1943 Operations 670 U234 8.38E+02 5.0 TBD-6000 Table 7.5 Supervisor 1943 Operations 670 U234 4.19E+02 5.0 TBD-6000 Table 7.5 Clerical 1943 Operations 670 U234 4.19E+01 5.0 TBD-6000 Table 7.5 
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; Appendix AS Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 7/16/2007 

Table AS.2 INTERNAL DOSE PATHWAYS - Ingestion of Airborne Radionuclides Assumptions: Air Concentration to Intake Conversion Factor: 3.06E-05 (M^3/d)/(hr/y) - see 7.1.6 TBD-6000 Deposition velocity: 0.00075 m/s Resuspension Factor: 1.00E-06 1/m 

Job Category Year 

Operation 

Phase Hr/Yr 

Relevant 

Nuclide 

Intake 

(pCi/d) GSD TBD Reference or Research Justificati

Plant Floor High 1943 Operations 670 U234 1.56E+01 5.0 TBD-6000 Table 7.5 Plant Floor Low 1943 Operations 670 U234 7.81E+00 5.0 TBD-6000 Table 7.5 Supervisor 1943 Operations 670 U234 3.90E+00 5.0 TBD-6000 Table 7.5 Clerical 1943 Operations 670 U234 3.90E-01 5.0 TBD-6000 Table 7.5 
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; Appendix AS Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 7/16/2007 

Table AS.3 EXTERNAL DOSE PATHWAYS - Whole Body Asumptions: Submersion Dose Conversion Factor: 2.462E-09 mrem/h/dpm/m^3 Deposition velocity: 0.00075 m/s Contaminated Surface Dose Conversion Factor: 5.615E-10 mrem/h/dpm/m^2 All external dose from estimated exposure to uranium slugs Residual period: Assume no handling of U metal - only exposure is from residual contamination on floor and in air 

Job Category Year 

Operation 

Phase Hr/Yr 

Relevant 

Nuclide 

External 

Whole Body 

(mR/d) GSD TBD Reference or Research Justi

Plant Floor High 1943 Operations 670 U234 5.26E-01 5.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 Plant Floor Low 1943 Operations 670 U234 2.63E-01 5.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 Supervisor 1943 Operations 670 U234 2.69E-02 5.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 Clerical 1943 Operations 670 U234 7.90E-05 5.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; Appendix AS Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 7/16/2007 

Table AS.4 EXTERNAL DOSE PATHWAYS - Skin Assumptions: All assumptions from TBD-6000 Section 6.3 Operational Period: Non-penetrating dose to skin 115 mR/hour (hands and forearms) 10.4 mR/hour (other) 

Plant Floor High: Assume hands in contact with metal 50% of time. Other skin is 100% of dose rate at 1-fPlant Floor Low: 50% of Plant Floor High Supervisor: assume 10% of Plant Floor Low for time in contact with metal Clerical: assume no handling of U metal. 

Residual Period: Non-penetrating dose to skin 3.9E-06 mr/hour 

Assume no handling of U metal. Assume 10x the photon whole body dose rate 

Job Category Year 

Operation 

Phase Hr/Yr 

Relevant 

Nuclide 

Skin: 

Hands & 

Forearms 

(mR/d) 

Skin – 

Other 

(mR/d) GSD TBD Reference or Re

Plant Floor High 1943 Operations 670 U234 2.11E+02 1.91E+01 5 Generic Metal TBDPlant Floor Low 1943 Operations 335 U234 1.06E+02 9.55E+00 5 Generic Metal TBDSupervisor 1943 Operations 33.5 U234 1.06E+01 9.55E-01 5 Generic Metal TBDClerical 1943 Operations 0 U234 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 5 Generic Metal TBD