British Museum faces fines concerning radioactive minerals' display

[SAFarberMSPH@cs.com]

Radsafe:

An interesting news article and link is copied below about a major museum in 
England facing what could be a sizable fine over radioactive minerals on 
display.  This might appropriately be filed under: "Stop the world, I want to 
get off". It will be interesting to see the size of the fines imposed, and 
learn what levels of radiation exposure and to whom, caused this to be a 
violation of  Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulations in England.

Stewart Farber, MS Public Health
Consulting Scientist
Public Health Sciences
172 Old Orchard Way
Warren, VT 05674

email:   SAFarberMSPH@cs.com
Phone: [802] 496-3356    

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Source:
<A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1173000/1173070.stm";>
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1173000/1173070.stm</A>
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16 February, 2001
'Radioactive' museum faces sentence

HSE inspectors visited the museum

One of the UK's top museums is due to be sentenced for exposing visitors and 
staff to radioactive materials. 
The Natural History Museum in South Kensington, London, exposed members of 
the public and one member of staff to radiation, the Health and Safety 
Executive (HSE) has alleged. 

Last December museum trustees admitted breaching health and safety laws. 

The case was heard at Marylebone magistrates court and was sent to 
Blackfriars for sentencing on Friday. 

The charges followed a visit by the HSE to the museum's Mineral Gallery in 
November 1999. 

Officers found failures in the storage and handling of radioactive mineral 
specimens, the HSE said. 

It brought a prosecution against the museum under the Health and Safety at 
Work Act and the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985. 

The maximum penalty for the breaches is an unlimited fine. 

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