§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the precautions taken against contamination by radioactivity for the civil and military personnel involved in the Christmas Island atomic bomb tests.
§ Mr. PattieRadiation exposure during an atmospheric nuclear test can occur from radiation direct from the exploding device, from contamination deposited on vehicles and equipment, and from general fall-out. Prompt radiation effects were avoided by evacuating all personnel from the area where prompt radiation effects were significant. Contaminated vehicles and equipment were de-contaminated by teams wearing protective gear in all cases where measurement showed this to be necessary. Fall-out was prevented from being a hazard by firing the test at a time when the meteorological conditions ensured that the fall-out plume passed over only uninhabited areas.
A check on the adequacy of the safety measures was provided by issuing all test personnel who might be 354W exposed to radiation with personal dosimeters and by the deployment of environmental radiation monitoring equipment.