[ RadSafe ] Radiological Laboratory Response - Limiting Issues

[Robert J Gunter]

There is one big point that gets short shrift in this document:

Problem:  An unacceptable possibility of cross-contamination of samples and
instruments from mixture of high- and low-level samples.

Solution:  Define and develop procedures and processes to minimize
cross-contamination (laboratory and instrumentation).

Here the problem is alluded to:

Problem:  Liability issues related to contamination of a laboratory.

Solution:  Possible solutions require further discussion with the
organizational management.

The problem here is that if there is a huge amount of contamination, the lab
WILL get contaminated and likely never be able to return to service in its
original capacity.  People have spent in some cases years getting labs
together, and all that will be ruined.  What should be done is to have an
entire different facility set up with portable instruments.  If this gets
too contaminated, move to another.

The level of contamination and the nature of the event are different that
what you would expect of an environmental lab (what most of these likely
are).  This is addressed in the document.  In addition, the counting of
samples in this sort of scenario does not probably require such a low LLD.
So why not have a location set up where you could create a lab?

In the immediate short term, you could probably count samples with a pancake
probe, and then set up a better lab once the situation stabilizes and you
are in the cleanup phase.

Robert J. Gunter, CHP
CHP Consultants
rjgunter at chpconsultants.com
www.chpconsultants.com
www.chpdosimetry.com
Tel:  +(865) 387-0028
Fax:  +(866) 491-9913 



-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf
Of Nielsen.Erik at epamail.epa.gov
Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 5:18 PM
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Radiological Laboratory Response - Limiting Issues

The Integrated Consortium of Laboratory Networks (ICLN) Network 
Coordinating Group?s (NCG) Radiological Laboratory Working Group has 
release their working document "Radiological Laboratory Response - 
Limiting Issues" 

This document describes potential issues that could hold back the 
production/throughput of an environmental radioanalytical laboratory. Some 
laboratories may have identified these issues and created solutions while 
others maybe things that they haven't thought about.  It is useful for 
identifying the "short straw" during a high throughput production 
scenario.

This document may be downloaded from the Association of Public Health 
Laboratories website at this url:

http://aphl.org/aphlprograms/eh/Documents/RadiationLabLimitingDocument.pdf

Erik C. Nielsen
Health Physicist
USEPA, National Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory
540 South Morris Ave.
Montgomery, AL 36115
Phone 334-270-3475
Fax 334-270-3454

Erik C. Nielsen
Health Physicist
USEPA, National Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory
540 South Morris Ave.
Montgomery, AL 36115
Phone 334-270-3475
Fax 334-270-3454
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