Re: tritium exit signs - not

[AndrewsJP@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 6/18/2001 1:56:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 

GNICHOLL@DEP.STATE.NJ.US writes:



> Properly installed and maintained, these signs pose no significant hazard.  

> Two incidents here in New Jersey in the past five years demonstrate what 

can 

> happen when they are not given the care they deserve.

>  

>  In the first incident a teenaged male walking by a building demolition 

site 

> picked up components of a sign, took it home and "opened it", breaking the 

> glass tubing, in his basement bedroom.  The cost to clean up the tritium, 

> dispose of the contaminated material and test him and others who were in 

the 

> room was over $60,000.  

>  

>  In a second incident, a teenaged male client at a state operated 

residential 

> facility for individuals with severe emotional problems tore a sign off the 

> wall and smashed it, contaminating himself, an attendant who was subduing 

him 

> and rugs, furniture and draperies in a common room located in a dormitory.  

> Clean up, disposal and testing of the individuals involved cost more than $

> 150,000.  

>  



I wonder if the cleanup and testing was necessary.  The licensing of the sign 

manufacturers must consider the consequences of such a release.  Was the 

testing and cleanup demanded by New Jersey?  Was any reference made to the 

license criteria for these signs?  If so, was there a decision that there was 

a problem that was not addressed in the licensing?  Maybe it was done just to 

be safe.  This is the traditional response even though there is no exposure 

risk.  I would like to see some numbers besides cost for such an incident.  

The industry needs the information.



John Andrews

Knoxville, Tennessee

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