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Figure 12. Organization of the Radiological Safety Section, CROSSROADS (sources: References C.9.206, B.0.2, B.0.4, and B.0.7).

radiation safety experience. The board held 14 meetings and considered such topics as the plutonium hazard, permissible beta exposure, fission products in the air, decontamination of personnel, control of overdoses, urinalyses, blood counts, monitoring procedures, and removal of equipment from target vessels (References B.0.7, C.0.5, C.0.7, C.0.8, and C.0.9b).

Planning called for each radsafe reconnaissance unit to consist of a monitor and one or more assistants. Initially, units were assigned as follows: two for PBMs, two for MSO-1 helicopters, nine for destroyers, six for PGMs on lagoon patrol, twenty for LCPLs on lagoon patrol, six for cloud-tracking aircraft, and two for drone boat operations (Reference B.0.1, p. E-II-1). However, as ABLE shot approached it became clear that many more monitors would be needed; in fact, over 225 monitors were used for each of the two shots (Reference C.9.206, p. VII-C-5).

Radsafe monitor-advisors were assigned to commands and aircraft likely to encounter radioactivity. The major function of these monitors was to advise their commands and pilots on radiological safety. In addition, they had a reconnaissance function. Thus, they could quickly communicate with the radsafe control unit to report radiation levels and receive advise on safety measures (Reference B.0.1, p. E-II-8).

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