Color-Coded Coveralls at the B Reactor

Based on the "What is Your Size?" panel of the Health Physics Exhibit at the B Reactor, Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

The panel invites visitors to look at the coveralls hanging beside it and work out which would fit them, with a chart as a hint.

Sizing by pocket color

Health physicists came up with a color-coded sizing system for convenience. Workers picked coveralls by the color of the pocket, which standardized and sped up dressing, or "donning," and also made sure each worker had clothing that fit properly, for the most protection.

The panel's chart, "Do They Have It In My Size?", matches sizes to pocket colors. From extra-small to extra-extra-large, the colors run yellow, green, red, orange, dark brown and white.

The pocket colors were bright enough to see from a distance. Two black-and-white photographs on the panel show workers in white coveralls, and explain that employees chose their coveralls by pocket color when they suited up each day.

The pocket prank

The bright colors tempted pranksters. The colored pockets were on the back of the coveralls, so a prankster could creep up behind an unsuspecting co-worker and rip the pocket off. As the panel puts it, "They had to find their fun where they could." A QR code on the panel links to a short video of one employee's experience with the prank.

Visiting: the B Reactor can be visited in person only on guided tours offered by the Department of Energy.

Sources

• National Park Service, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, "B Reactor Health Physics Exhibit: What is Your Size?" https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/b-reactor-health-physics-exhibit-what-is-your-size.htm
• The exhibit panel's images carry their own credits and are not reproduced here.