[ RadSafe ] Dosimetry Reports

[Perle, Sandy]

Hans and Chris,

I would think that an anomalous reading should receive whatever evaluation that is required to correct with an appropriate estimated dose, with the concurrence of the worker (very important). I find it hard to believe that a worker would refuse to support the change in dose, and why would this information not be a requirement of employment, in that the employer is accountable for maintaining a safe work place and a worker's dose is always a potential litigation possibility.

Regards,

Sandy Perle
Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 18, 2012, at 9:13 AM, "Hans Wiegert" <hans.wiegert at sealedair.com> wrote:

> Chris,
> 
> you are correct to the extend that the RSO/ARSO have to get the employee to
> "voluntarily" disclose this information. We try to do this by
> educating badgeholders  through our annual badgeholder training and asking
> "general" questions about any abnormal reading. HR take the approach of the
> three monkeys!
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Hans
> 
> On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 6:08 PM, Chris Alston <achris1999 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Hans
>> 
>> I see this scenario as a HIPPA problem only if your employee denies
>> you the right to inform the dosimetry-service vendor of the
>> circumstances of the exposure.  Then you would not be able to advise
>> the vendor to adjust his/her records appropriately.  You would have to
>> write a note to file, and maybe in your quarterly/annual reports,
>> saying something to the effect that, while you were morally certain
>> that the reported dose was spurious, you could not further document
>> your claim.
>> 
>> Please note, I don't see that one would have to go into great detail,
>> either in one's on-site records, or in the documentation one offered
>> the service vendor.  One could simply state that one had established,
>> after interviews with the employee, and appropriate reviews of their
>> work environment, that the recorded exposure, or some fraction of it,
>> was not occupational in origin.  Of course, one would always cc the
>> employee and his/her maanger.  But, again, these are questions on
>> which the Offices of Risk Management, or corporate counsels, may have
>> different takes, at different institutions.
>> 
>> Cheers
>> cja
>> 
>> 
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: Hans Wiegert <hans.wiegert at sealedair.com>
>> Date: Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 3:02 PM
>> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Dosimetry Reports
>> To: "The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing
>> List" <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
>> 
>> 
>> The bi-monthly OSL dosimetry reports are reviewed by the plant RSO/ARSO for
>> any irregularities and kept on file. Each badgeholder  is made aware during
>> the *annual refresher training* that they have the right at any time to see
>> *their *exposure records. A copy is made and all other personnel data on
>> the sheet is blanked out. Under NO circumstance would we post the exposure
>> records of individuals for everyone to see!
>> 
>> The problem we have with HIPAA is the difficulty when investigating
>> abnormal dosimetry results since there are almost always the result of a
>> medical procedure.  For example, I had a stress test some time ago with
>> Tc-99m. Leaving the Cardiologist's office I was registering 18 mR/hr on my
>> Fluke Biomedical 451P - or about 50 times of what we allow on our
>> equipment!
>> 
>> Best Regards,
>> 
>> Hans
>> 
>> Hans J. Wiegert
>> Sr. Electrical Engineer - ECL Technology
>> Regional Radiation Coordinator
>> CRYOVAC, Sealed Air Corporation
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Hans J. Wiegert
> Sr. Electrical Engineer - ECL Technology
> Regional Radiation Coordinator
> CRYOVAC, Sealed Air Corporation
> 100 Rogers Bridge Rd., Bldg. A
> Duncan, SC 29334-0464
> Tel: (864) 433-2641
> Fax: (864) 433-3200
> 
> *The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow
> won't wait while you do the work!*
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