An EDF employee was contaminated during a recent maintenance operation at the Cruas power plant (Ardèche), his radiological exposure having been greater than the annual regulatory limit, we learned on Saturday from the Authority of nuclear safety.
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The sector gendarme classified the incident at level 2 (out of 7) on the Ines severity scale, which is quite rare - only a few cases occur each year.
On August 24, two workers were checking the tightness of the air supply to the pneumatic valves in the reactor 2 building.
During the check carried out on leaving the controlled area, contamination was detected in the neck of one of the employees and the radioactive particle was removed, reports the ASN, confirming information from Dauphiné Libéré.
The radiological exposure of the agent was however higher than the annual regulatory limit set for each square centimeter of skin, "
without consequence for the health of the employee
" according to EDF, quoted by the regional daily.
“
Despite the investigations carried out on the route followed by the operator, the areas or points of contamination which may have been the source of this contamination could not be determined
”, indicates the ASN on its website.
An incident analysis report is expected within two months.
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According to France Info, which mentioned the case on Saturday, this contamination incident is the fourth since the end of July in France.
The previous ones took place in Cattenom (Moselle), Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin) and Saint-Laurent des Eaux (Loir-et-Cher), "
less serious
" than that of Cruas-Meysse according to the radio.
