RE: Man Sentenced in radioactive Poisoning Case

["Grimm, Lawrence" <LGrimm@ADMIN.UCLA.EDU>]

Franz Schoenhofer wrote:	
"??????????????????? What has this to do with the fact, that the University
obviously neglected its duty to keep radioactive material safely under
control, as is is usually required in civilized countries? Or do you think
that the blame goes to a criminal shooting somebody with army guns, spread
out by the responsible persons on an open market place and left unattended
?????????? Not only radioactive material has to be kept safely, but also
poisonous chemicals like mercury compounds, barium compounds, cyanides and
and and and and..... If somebody would have the opportunity at a university
to take such compounds and kill another person with them, then of course
also (I say explicitely 
a l s o !!!) the university has to be cited. At least in Europe hazardous
material like poisonous chemicals, radioactive material have to be kept
safely and there has to be a person who is responsible for it. The same is
true for equipment which could harm people. The owner or operator has to
secure this equipment, so nobody who is not authorized can use it - or can
anybody who just happens to drop in operate x-ray equipment, accelerators
or whatsoever?    And do not tell me that such legislation does not exist
in the USA."

My comment:  If Franz knows a way to prevent the deliberate, calculated
theft of radioactive materials by an employee of the licensee, I would
really appreciate it if he could share the idea with us.  When an employee
has access to the material and then deliberately decides to misuse the
material, how does one prevent this?  Deliberate theft is an impossible
situation to control.  If Franz has the answer, he should go into the
security business - he would make a fortune.  I truly await your answer
Franz.

PS:  Franz's cheap shots and cheap innuendo towards the USA is wholly
uncalled for on RADSAFE. Our world is to small for such provincialism and
the world of radiation safety is smaller yet. We need to help each other,
not disparage.

Larry Grimm
	UCLA Radiation Safety Division
*	On Campus: CHS A6-060 MS 957061
*	Off Campus: UCLA Radiation Safety Div, 2195 West Medical Building,
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1764
*	lgrimm@admin.ucla.edu   Phone:310/206-0712   Fax 310/794-5825
*	If this email is not RSD business, the opinions are mine, not
UCLA's.
 
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