[ RadSafe ] Unacceptable Reason For A Dose

[Steven Dapra]

June 18

         This article doesn't make a particle of sense.

         When someone is hired to work in a reactor isn't he 
automatically issued a respirator?  Seems to me he should be.  If the 
employee wears eyeglasses shouldn't he be issued eyeglasses that fit 
under a respirator, or a respirator that will accommodate the eyeglasses?

         To what were these two workers exposed?  The article mumbles 
something about potassium iodide tablets but says nothing about 
radioactive iodine.

         The article says, "The men were so busy in the control 
rooms, they ate at their posts, which required removing their 
protective masks."  Isn't a control room a rad area?  If so, why were 
they eating in a rad area?  What is the point of wearing a respirator 
if you're going to take it off to eat?

         The article also says, "Tepco said it had taken additional 
steps to monitor the radiation exposure of workers at the plant, such 
as having them wear dosimeters while on duty that automatically 
record radiation doses."  About 15 years ago I worked on an UMTRA 
project which was barely above background and we wore dosimeters 
(TLD's) whenever we were on the site.  Why aren't the Tepco employees 
already wearing dosimeters all the time?

Steven Dapra


At 08:12 PM 6/18/2011, you wrote:
>I am sorry but this is inexcusable. You have to fit respirators, 
>before allowing someone into an airborne contamination area.
>
>http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/18/3710803/nuclear-plant-workers-safety-mask.html
>
>
>Jeff