[ RadSafe ] [Nuclear News] Japan quake not seenslowingU.S.nuclear revi.val TEPCO Release gives enoghammunition to anti nuclear activists

[Earley, Jack N]

"There is the same philosophy where industrial hygienists are named as
RSOs in large medical and university facilities." 

When I used to teach the 40-hour RSO course required by the NRC I would
have a number of the IH types in my classes. Monday morning was always
the same--I'd make them mad by telling them in the introduction that the
chemicals they were working with were more hazardous than the radiation
they would be working with, and then we'd spend the next four hours in
math review. By lunch on Tuesday, I'd have just finished covering
biological effects and they weren't mad any more. By Wednesday evening,
they were working hard to complete the chapter exercises so they could
pass the exam I gave them on Friday.

Bottom line is, if I'm running a chemical/pharmaceutical company, I
maybe don't need a full time HP, but I do need a full time IH,
especially considering the fact that their typical chemicals are a whole
lot nastier than their typical isotopes. I tried to teach them respect
for the isotopes in lieu of fear and ignorance, and they always seemed
to get it.

BTW, if you really want to enjoy teaching, conduct a training class for
the chemists at a NPP. They're generally degreed, and the ones I've
taught really were interested in learning.

 
Jack Earley
Health Physicist
509.372.9532