Battelle Team 

Dose Reconstruction 

Project for NIOSH

Document Title: 

Site Profiles for Atomic Weapons Employers that 

Worked Uranium and Thorium Metals 

Appendix BO – LaPointe Machine & Tool Co. 

Document Number: Battelle-TBD-6000 

Appendix BO

Revision: 0 

Effective Date: 05/25/2007 

Type of Document: TBD Appendix

Supersedes: None 

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

Document Owner 

Approval: 

 Signature on File 

Approval Date: 

5/18/2007 

Robert I. Scherpelz, Staff Scientist 

Approval Signature on File Approval Date: 5/18/2007 

Approval 

James D. Catalano, CIH, Sr. Research Scientist 

Signature on File Approval Date: 5/18/2007 

Jay A. MacLellan, Battelle PNWD Task Manager 

Concurrence: Signature on File Concurrence Date: 5/18/2007 

Richard J. Traub, Staff Scientist 

Approval: Signature on File Approval Date: 5/22/2007 

James W. Neton, Associate Director of Science 

 New Total Rewrite Revision Page Change 
Battelle Team 

Dose Reconstruction 

Project for NIOSH

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 BO 

Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 5/25/2007 Page 3 

LaPointe Machine & Tool Company 

BO.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. Where specific 

information is lacking, research into similar facilities described in the body of this Site 

Profile is used. 

BO.2 Site Description 

The LaPointe Machine and Tool Company operated a machine shop in Hudson, 

Massachusetts. In 1956, the National Lead of Ohio Company (Fernald) conducted a 

single test involving the use of uranium metal on a broaching machine and an arbor press 

at this facility.1

BO.2.1 Site Activities 

Broaching is a metal removal process that uses an elongated tool having a number of 

teeth of successively increasing size that cut in a fixed path. The broaching tool is pulled 

or pushed along a fixed path so that each tooth removes successively more metal. The 

final dimension is achieved by the cut of the last tooth. Broaching machines may be 

either horizontal or vertical, and may operate either internally or externally to a work 

piece. Broaching is done with coolant flooded onto the tool and work piece, thus 

particulate emissions are similar to those of other metalworking processes such as 

shaping, planing and drilling. An arbor press is a mechanical press similar to a drill press 

in which a lever is used to apply pressure to a work piece in order to force one piece into 

another. Both of these machining operations are generally low emissions processes. 

BO.2.2 Job Categories 

Table BO.1 assigns LaPointe Machine Tool Company claimants’ job titles as of the 

effective date of this appendix to the Job Categories listed in Bold Text below. One 

claimant was a precision grinder (form grinder), and the other was involved in inventory 

control. The precision grinder is a machine operator, and although there is no indication 

in the files Concerning which machines he actually operated, a favorable assumption is 

that he was the operator of the broaching machine on the day of the test. As such, he is 

considered to have “plant floor high” exposure potential. The inventory control clerk is 

assumed to have minimal likelihood of exposure. His job would have been to maintain 

inventory records, possibly including the control of uranium metal shipped to and from 

the facility. However, it should be noted that this claimant began his employment on 

4/1/1957, more than one year after the only known work with uranium at this facility.

Plant Floor High (Involved directly in operations) 

Plant Floor Low (Involved in support of operations) 

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

Clerk (Assumed to have minimal exposure) 

Claims forwarded to NIOSH by the Department of Labor after the effective date of this 

appendix will be evaluated during the dose reconstruction process to determine the most 

appropriate of the four Job Categories. 
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; 

Appendix BO 

Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 5/25/2007 Page 4 

BO.3 Occupational Medical Dose 

No information regarding occupational medical dose specific to LaPointe Machine & 

Tool Company was found. One of the claimants indicated in the CATI interview that 

medical x-rays were conducted annually. There was no information regarding medical xrays in the second claimant’s CATI interview. 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. 

BO.4 Occupational Internal Dose 

There were no data found in the site research data base regarding dust levels associated 

with the work performed at LaPointe Machine and Tool Company. The body of this 

TBD, specifically table 7.5, provides air sampling data for facilities involved in 

machining uranium. While broaching operations are not presented in the table, the dust 

exposures associated with this operation would be similar to those associated with 

drilling operations and this level should be used. Thus, we estimate that an operator 

performing broaching of uranium metal would have a daily weighted average exposure of 

20 dpm/m3

. This would represent “plant floor high” exposure levels. Other job categories 

should be scaled as follows: 

• 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 BO.1 and BO.2 contain inhalation and ingestion intakes in terms for pCi per day 

for each job category and each year. 

BO.5 Occupational External Dose 

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

No radiation surveys were performed during the tests, and only one survey was 

performed several months after the test. In this survey, the area around the broaching 

machine and arbor press were found to be clean, however there was a bit of 

contamination found on the equipment. At that time, contamination levels measured 

slightly above background at 0.25 mrep/hr β/γ. This contamination was apparently 

removed with one swipe of a rag (which was sent back to NLO, on whose behalf the tests 

were run).2

 

Given the lack of contemporaneous survey data, external doses 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. External dose rates for working with uranium metal are 

taken from TBD Sections 6.2 and 6.3. 

Tables BO.3 and BO.4 contain external doses associated with the work at this facility. 

BO.6 Residual Contamination 

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

Weapons Employer Facilities and Beryllium Vender Facilities” indicates 

“Documentation exists which shows that the facility was effectively decontaminated 

immediately after DOE work was completed.” Additionally, “there is little potential for 
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; 

Appendix BO 

Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 5/25/2007 Page 5 

significant residual contamination outside of the period in which weapons-related 

production occurred.”3

 It is assumed that there was no cleanup of contamination during 

the year of operation, so exposure to residual contamination was calculated for an 11-

month period in 1956. 

BO.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. Reference No. 9760, pg. 7 

3. 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-2.pdf
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; Appendix BO Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 5/25/2007 

Table BO.1 INTERNAL DOSE PATHWAYS - Inhalation of Airborne Radionuclides Assumptions: Operational Period Daily Weighted Average Air Concentration, Plant Floor High: 9 dpm/m3

Residual Period Daily Weighted Average Air Concentration: 0 dpm/m3

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 Justific

Plant Floor High 1956 Operations 8 U234 1.07E-01 5.0 Metal TBD Table 7.5, Drill Plant Floor High 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.28E-04 5.0 

Resuspension of contamination deposit

operations, no cleanup 

Plant Floor Low 1956 Operations 8 U234 5.33E-02 5.0 Ratio from Plant Floor High Plant Floor Low 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.28E-04 5.0 

Resuspension of contamination deposit

operations, no cleanup 

Supervisor 1956 Operations 8 U234 2.67E-02 5.0 Ratio from Plant Floor High Supervisor 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.28E-04 5.0 

Resuspension of contamination deposit

operations, no cleanup 

Clerical 1956 Operations 8 U234 2.67E-03 5.0 Ratio from Plant Floor High Clerical 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.28E-04 5.0 

Resuspension of contamination deposit

operations, no cleanup 
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; Appendix BO Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 5/25/2007 

Table BO.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 Justific

Plant Floor High 1956 Operations 8 U234 9.93E-04 5.0 Metal TBD Table 7.5, Drill Plant Floor High 1956 Residual 1833 U234 4.92E-06 5.0 

Resuspension of contamination deposit

operations, no cleanup 

Plant Floor Low 1956 Operations 8 U234 4.97E-04 5.0 Ratio from Plant Floor High Plant Floor Low 1956 Residual 1833 U234 4.92E-06 5.0 

Resuspension of contamination deposit

operations, no cleanup 

Supervisor 1956 Operations 8 U234 2.48E-04 5.0 Ratio from Plant Floor High Supervisor 1956 Residual 1833 U234 4.92E-06 5.0 

Resuspension of contamination deposit

operations, no cleanup 

Clerical 1956 Operations 8 U234 2.48E-05 5.0 Ratio from Plant Floor High Clerical 1956 Residual 1833 U234 4.92E-06 5.0 

Resuspension of contamination deposit

operations, no cleanup 
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; Appendix BO Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 5/25/2007 

Table BO.3 EXTERNAL DOSE PATHWAYS - Whole Body Asumptions: Submersion Dose Conversion Factor: 2.462E-09 mrem/h/dpm/m^3 Deposition velocity: 0.0008 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 Justific

Plant Floor High 1956 Operations 8 U234 5.06E-03 5.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 Plant Floor High 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.48E-07 0.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 Plant Floor Low 1956 Operations 8 U234 2.53E-03 5.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 Plant Floor Low 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.48E-07 5.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 Supervisor 1956 Operations 8 U234 2.53E-04 5.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 Supervisor 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.48E-07 5.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 Clerical 1956 Operations 8 U234 2.40E-09 5.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 Clerical 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.48E-07 0.0 Generic Metal TBD, Section 6.3 
Document No. Battelle-TBD-6000; Appendix BO Revision No. 0 Effective Date: 5/25/2007 

Table BO.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-f

Plant 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 Res

Plant Floor High 1956 Operations 8 U234 2.52E+00 2.28E-01 5 Generic Metal TBD, Section Plant Floor High 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.48E-06 5.48E-06 5 Generic Metal TBD, Section Plant Floor Low 1956 Operations 4 U234 1.26E+00 1.14E-01 5 Generic Metal TBD, Section Plant Floor Low 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.48E-06 5.48E-06 5 Generic Metal TBD, Section Supervisor 1956 Operations 0.4 U234 1.26E-01 1.14E-02 5 Generic Metal TBD, Section Supervisor 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.48E-06 5.48E-06 5 Generic Metal TBD, Section Clerical 1956 Operations 0 U234 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 5 Generic Metal TBD, Section Clerical 1956 Residual 1833 U234 5.48E-06 5.48E-06 5 Generic Metal TBD, Section