A method is provided for removing radioactive internals structural members in the core of a reactor pressure vessel in a containment vessel. The method includes placing a first cask in a first internals assembly, detaching radioactive first internals structural members from second internals structural members in the first internals assembly, placing the detached first internals structural members in the first cask, placing the first internals assembly in a second cask, and removing the second cask containing the first internals assembly and containing the casked detached radioactive first internals members from the containment vessel. The first internal members may be radioactive baffle plates, and the second internals members may be former plates bolted to the radioactive baffle plates. Novel tooling, framework and fixtures facilitate disassembling, moving and storing the radioactive baffle plates.