British Museum - Radioactive minerals

[SAFarberMSPH@cs.com]

Radsafe:
I sent an email to a contact in England to get some detail on the level of 
radiation exposure and fines imposed related to a situtation described in an 
earlier post to Radsafe. [British Museum faces fines  concerning radioactive 
minerals' display --Date:   2/16/01 2:31:38 PM -From:   SAFarberMSPH]

I received the reply below which gives some relevent details. The link to the 
BBC story reports the fine to be imposed.

To see BBC story go to:
<A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1173000/1173070.stm";>
Click here for BBC newstory on Radioactive minerals' violation</A>

Stewart Farber
Public Health Sciences
172 Old Orchard Way
Warren, VT 05674
[802] 496-3356
email: SAFarberMSPH@cs.com
-=============
Subj:    Radioactive minerals
Date:   2/19/01 12:23:02 PM Eastern Standard Time
From:   M.C.George@exeter.ac.uk (Mike George)
To: RadiumProj@cs.com

Dear Sir,

I visited the HSE website, which lists the violations under which
prosecutions are made.  The violations were of the Health & Safety at Work
Etc Act 1974 Section 3 (insufficient care of others not in the employer's
employ), and the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 (not the 1999 regs)
Regulations 6(1), 10(1), 10(4) and 19.

It seems that sufficient radioactive minerals were stored under display
cases in a mineral gallery to produce doserates of up to 30
microsieverts/hour in some areas (note - criterion for a controlled area is
7.5 microsieverts /hour).  You can find more details on
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1173000/1173070.stm

I hope this is of assistance.

Mike George.



Mike George
Exeter University Safety Office
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