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radsafe-digest V1 #162
radsafe-digest Thursday, September 6 2001 Volume 01 : Number 162
In this issue:
International Conference
Re: News Article: Scary? You Bet It Is
[Fwd: Re: medical misadministrations]
FW: InoculateIT detected the (Win32/Magistr.24876) virus in Mailb ox (Hidalgo, Dr Oscar), Sender (Fisica Sanitaria Br-tiscali) !!!
Re: Microwave Survey Meters
Tc-99m
[Fwd: Re: medical misadministrations]
Re: Kursk: Potential nuclear hazards
RF Survey Equipment
Study Questions Class 2 Laser Safety
Re: [Fwd: Re: medical misadministrations]
RE: Kursk: Potential nuclear hazards
Congress is back!
Alaska Asks Feds for Radiation Tests
medical misadventures
Gloves For NaI
Re: medical misadventures
TLD Cage
Gloves for NaI
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 17:28:51 +0530 (IST)
From: Dr A K Shukla <akshukla@sgpgi.ac.in>
Subject: International Conference
Dear Members,
I have the pleasure to announce that we here at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate
Institute of Medical Sciences would be organizing an international
conference on the Radiological Protection of Patients in use of IOnizing
Radiation.The eminent experts and the participants from all over the world
are expected tp participate in this coneferece to share their concerns and
views apart from discussing the critical issues related to patient safety.
We have also launched a website containing all the details regarding the
proposed conference.You may like to visi the site at the following address
http://www.geocities.com/icrp2k2/icrp2k2.htm
We look forward for your active participation in this mega event.
With kind regards,
Sincerely Yours,
Dr.A.K.Shukla
Organizing Secretary
e-mail- akshukla@sgpgi.ac.in
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 07:19:33 -0500
From: "Jack Earley" <jearley@enercon.com>
Subject: Re: News Article: Scary? You Bet It Is
Extremely valid point here. Chernobyl didn't happen until three or more
technical specifications were violated to perform the turbine run-down test.
The probability of an accident occurring rises dramatically the closer you
are to the point of danger. The likelihood of my being bitten by a water
moccasin in my office is pretty low, but the probability of my coworkers
being bitten while out walking down an environmental site approaches a
hundred percent if they don't take appropriate precautions.
Jack Earley
Radiological Engineer
Enercon Services, Inc.
6525 N. Meridian, Suite 503
OKC, OK 73116
phone: 405-722-7693
fax: 405-722-7694
jearley@enercon.com
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- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Bjorn Cedervall" <bcradsafers@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>
Sent: September 02, 2001 6:30 p.m.
Subject: Re: News Article: Scary? You Bet It Is
> >I read this opinion pieced in today's Washington Post, and thought I
should
> >pass it along. If you substitute nuclear power for shark, I think you
will
> >find the parallels interesting. To view the entire article, go to
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27513-2001Aug31.html
> ---------
> This was definitely worth the reading time. One aspect that the author
(Fred
> Barbash) touches several times is the issue of averages and statistics.
> These numbers can become quite irrelevant when you actually are exposed to
a
> high risk. Say that the average number of people being killed annually by
> lightening or shark bites or whatever. An incidence number describing such
> events are small (say about less than 1/100 000 or so annually - I don't
> have the numbers available at this time - the point here is just that the
> average probability is very low).
>
> This contrasts dramatically the situation when you actually are swimming
in
> the coastal waters of Florida or South Carolina (I have tried both but
will
> be more careful in the future) or if you insist to play football while
rain
> and thunder storm is present. Large parts of the population may not be
> exposed to the risk at all - because they live in areas where lightening
or
> shark are either absent or rare - or they hardly ever expose themselves to
> the risk (but some encounters can be quite unexpected - like the pygmy
> rattler at Walmart in Hammond, LA, which bit somebody looking at potted
> flowers in April this year
> http://www.kingsnake.com/forum/crotalid/messages/7451.html - wonder who
you
> make meaningful statistical models for that).
>
> Just my reflections,
>
> Bjorn Cedervall bcradsafers@hotmail.com
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
>
> ************************************************************************
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 09:10:23 -0400
From: William V Lipton <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM>
Subject: [Fwd: Re: medical misadministrations]
- -------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: medical misadministrations
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 09:00:09 -0400
From: "Thomas J Savin " <tjsav@lycos.com>
Reply-To: tjsav@lycos.com
Organization: Lycos Mail (http://mail.lycos.com:80)
To: "William V Lipton" <liptonw@dteenergy.com>
Sure, - I really do not know what is being done about this - I saw this
morning that the pharmicist who diluted the chemo therapy drugs may have
done it with two other drugs - so much for establishing public
confidence.
Tom
On Wed, 05 Sep 2001 08:50:25
William V Lipton wrote:
>Many thanx for your response. May I post this to RADSAFE?
>Bill
>
>
>Thomas J Savin wrote:
>
>> HI Bill,
>>
>> This is an excellent question, but I would like to know if there is an estimate of how many incidences go unreported?
>> ---
>> Tom Savin
>>
>> On Wed, 05 Sep 2001 07:31:46
>> William V Lipton wrote:
>> >I'll dare to use the "e" word, again. There seems to be an epidemic of
>> >medical misadminstrations, that seem mostly due to human error:
>> >
>> >8/7/96 - 10/18/00 - Providence Hospital, Washington, DC - 14
>> >misadministrations where approximately 3000 rads was delivered with
>> >1200-1500 rads prescribed with a Sr-90 eye applicator.
>> >
>> >8/31/01 - St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, MN - delivered dose from Co-60
>> >gamma knife 39% greater than prescribed due to timer entry error.
>> >
>> >8/31/01 - University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, KS - Technician
>> >administered wrong radionuclide to patient.
>> >
>> >(I'm not counting the 8/21/01 misadministration at Wyoming Medical
>> >Center, where the misadministration resulted from highly technical
>> >issues.)
>> >
>> >I'd be interested to know whether the medical hp's are doing anything to
>> >improve human performance in this area.
>> >
>> >BTW: I don't buy the previous excuses, when I raised this issue, that,
>> >"It's not my job." According to the HPS Prospectus, "The Society is a
>> >professional organization whose mission is to promote the practice of
>> >radiation safety..." This seems to be one area where "the practice of
>> >radiation safety" seems to need improvement.
>> >
>> >The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
>> >It's not about dose, it's about trust.
>> >
>> >Bill Lipton
>> >liptonw@dteenergy.com
>> >
>> >
>> >************************************************************************
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>> >send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu Put the text "unsubscribe
>> >radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Get 250 color business cards for FREE!
>> http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/
>
>
Get 250 color business cards for FREE!
http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 08:19:51 -0500
From: "Hidalgo, Dr Oscar" <OscarH@marybird.com>
Subject: FW: InoculateIT detected the (Win32/Magistr.24876) virus in Mailb ox (Hidalgo, Dr Oscar), Sender (Fisica Sanitaria Br-tiscali) !!!
WARNING! To anyone that got an e-mail from Fisica Sanitaria Br-tiscali last
night or early this morning, my computer is telling me that there was a
virus in that e-mail.
Oscar Hidalgo-Salvatierra, PhD, DABR
Radiation Therapy Physicist / RSO
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
Baton Rouge, LA 70807
Oscarh@marybird.com <mailto:Oscarh@marybird.com>
Hidalgo1@home.com <mailto:Hidalgo1@home.com>
- -----Original Message-----
From: Hidalgo, Dr Oscar
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 4:50 AM
To: Hidalgo, Dr Oscar
Subject: InoculateIT detected the (Win32/Magistr.24876) virus in
Mailbox (Hidalgo, Dr Oscar), Sender (Fisica Sanitaria Br-tiscali) !!!
The (Win32/Magistr.24876) virus was detected in (Hidalgo, Dr
Oscar\OEMRNCE.EXE) and was sent by (Fisica Sanitaria Br-tiscali). Action:
(File was Deleted.).
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 09:07:31 -0700
From: Chuck Cooper <ccc@pp.pdx.edu>
Subject: Re: Microwave Survey Meters
The Holaday meters are geared for Microwave ovens at 2.4
GHz, you want more general purpose RF measurement instrument.
Basic 0-12 GHz RF meter:
http://www.digifield.com/home.html (about $250)
Buy online: http://www.lessemf.com/129.html
Geek lust meter (for transmitter diagnostics primarily):
http://www.lashen.com/vendors/protek/3201RFMeter.asp
($2000)
Rick Mannix wrote:
> Several telecommunications companies will be installing "cell sites" on the
> roofs of a couple of buildings on our campus in the near future. Both
> cellular radio services antennas (800 or 900 MHz) and Personal
> Communications Service (PCS) antennas (1850 - 2000 MHz) will be involved.
>
> We are looking into purchasing a survey meter capable of obtaining electric
> field, magnetic field, and power density (mW/cm2) readings near these
> antennas and in surrounding areas (in the rooms below, etc.). [We expect
> the readings obtained in occupied areas to be low and the related hazards
> to be minimal.] This survey meter will also be useful in monitoring other
> microwave operations on campus.
>
> I know that Holaday sells equipment such as this. Does anybody know of any
> other vendors for microwave survey meters?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Rick Mannix
> Health Physicist
> Laser Safety Officer
> University of California
> EH&S Office
> 4600 Bison Ave.
> Irvine, CA 92697-2725
Chuck Cooper
Dir. EH&S
Portland State University
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 12:31:04 -0400
From: Lorna Hubble <ljb1@CORNELL.EDU>
Subject: Tc-99m
Does anyone know of some sources of Tc-99m (sodium pertechnetate)? Our Vet
Nuclear Medicine program normally gets it delivered from a company in
Sayre, PA, which apparently is running short this week. Any suggestions
are welcome. Please respond directly back to me. Thanks!
Lorna
***********************************************************************
Any statement above is 100% my responsibility.
Don't blame Cornell!
***********************************************************************
Lorna Hubble (Bullerwell) Phone: (607) 255-8816
Radiological Safety Specialist Fax: (607) 255-8267
Cornell University mailto:ljb1@cornell.edu
Department of Environmental Health and Safety
Laboratory and Radiation Safety Section
125 Humphreys Service Building, Ithaca, NY 14853
http://www.ehs.cornell.edu/
************************************************************************
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 12:38:11 -0400
From: William V Lipton <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM>
Subject: [Fwd: Re: medical misadministrations]
This is posted with permission of the sender.
Bill
- -------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: medical misadministrations
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 10:43:31 -0500
From: "Ray Wery" <Rayw@waushosp.org>
To: <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM>
Mr Lipton
I believe that the standard procedure is for the licensee to conduct an
evaluation of all medical misadministrations, analyze causes, and
produce a plan of action that will address the problems found and act on
them. This will, in most cases, involve everyone involved in the
radiation safety program.
Do you have any information that this does not occur?
Do you have any information that there are similar incidents occurring
and Radiation Safety personnel are ignoring the issue?
You seem to have an opinion that "medical HP's" are not providing
professional services because misadministrations occur. I believe that
you can find information on error analysis of medical misadministrations
if you look. For example:
Radiation injury from x-ray exposure during brachytherapy localization.
Med Phys 2000 Jul;27(7):1681-1684.
Thomadsen BR, Paliwal BR, Petereit DG, Ranallo FN
I do not offer any excuses, radiation safety personnel should assist in
the design of procedures that will ensure that services are delivered as
prescribed. When problems arise they should design changes to reduce
the likelihood of the problem arising again, while not creating
additional problems. I do not believe that the identification of
problems indicate that HP's are not doing their job.
Ray Wery, M.S., D.A.B.R.
Medical Physicist/Radiation Safety Officer
Wausau Hospital
Wausau, WI 54401
715-847-2292
rayw@waushosp.org
>>> William V Lipton <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM> 09/05/01 06:31AM >>>
I'll dare to use the "e" word, again. There seems to be an epidemic of
medical misadminstrations, that seem mostly due to human error:
8/7/96 - 10/18/00 - Providence Hospital, Washington, DC - 14
misadministrations where approximately 3000 rads was delivered with
1200-1500 rads prescribed with a Sr-90 eye applicator.
8/31/01 - St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, MN - delivered dose from Co-60
gamma knife 39% greater than prescribed due to timer entry error.
8/31/01 - University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, KS - Technician
administered wrong radionuclide to patient.
(I'm not counting the 8/21/01 misadministration at Wyoming Medical
Center, where the misadministration resulted from highly technical
issues.)
I'd be interested to know whether the medical hp's are doing anything to
improve human performance in this area.
BTW: I don't buy the previous excuses, when I raised this issue, that,
"It's not my job." According to the HPS Prospectus, "The Society is a
professional organization whose mission is to promote the practice of
radiation safety..." This seems to be one area where "the practice of
radiation safety" seems to need improvement.
The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.
Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 12:44:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: BERNARD L COHEN <blc+@PITT.EDU>
Subject: Re: Kursk: Potential nuclear hazards
On Tue, 4 Sep 2001, Bjorn Cedervall wrote:
>
> Now, on page 15 it says that the reactor is pressurized by gas (argon or
> nitrogen). -Reserve gas? I don't understand how this gas comes into the
> picture. Can anyone explain?
--In a PWR, the pressure is regulated by the pressurizer which has
water from the reactor in the bottom and gas in the top. The interface is
kept in sight so one knows that the water pressure is equal to the gas
pressure which is easily measured and regulated. The pressurizer gained
notoriety in the TMI accident because it was filled with water and no
interface was visible. The operators interpreted this as meaning that
there was too much water in the reactor and hence they throttled back
(almost shut down) the emergency cooling water. But the reason the
pressurizer was filled with water was that the exit valve was stuck open
so water was pouring out thru the pressurizer. Thus the water was lost and
not replaced.
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 09:57:39 -0700
From: Rick Mannix <rcmannix@UCI.EDU>
Subject: RF Survey Equipment
I received this price quote from Narda. Seems like a good equipment, but
quite pricey.
Rick Mannix
U Cal Irvine
>Hi Rick,
>Thank you for contacting the Narda Microwave web site regarding RF Safety
>Products. Per you inquiry for making measurements in multi-emitter
>environments, we offer RF Survey Systems specifically designed for this
>application.
>
>The probes designed for this environment read out in Percent of Standard as
>opposed to power density. The reason for this is that different frequencies
>have different MPE (Maximum Permissible Exposure) limits. For example; you
>have two transmitting antennas on your rooftop, one at 800MHz, whose MPE
>limit for the FCC OET Bulletin 65 Standard is 2.67mW/cm2 and one at 1.9GHz
>whose MPE limit is 5mW/cm2. If the meter is reading 3.5mW/cm2(power
>density) you will NOT be able to determine if you are within the limits of
>the standard. This is because you will not be able to determine what each
>individual antennas contribution to the reading is.
>
>We have two probes to offer that are used specifically for compliance to the
>FCC OET Bulletin 65 Standard. One of these is model A8742D which is an
>E-field probe that operates from 300KHz to 3GHz. The other is the A8722D
>which is also an E-field probe. This model operates from 300KHz to 50GHz.
>The A8722D probe would cover the frequency range of any microwave antennas
>that could be present on your rooftops. Both probes can be used with any of
>the 8700 series of hand held digital meters. The meters I would recommend
>for your application would be either model 8712 or model 8715. The only
>difference between the two meters is that the 8715 has the capability to do
>spatial averaging.
>
>The prices for the probes and meters mentioned above are as follows:
>
>A8742D Probe $3,900
>A8722D Probe $5,200
>8712 Meter $2,350
>8715 Meter $3,950
>
>If you have any questions regarding any of the equipment, please don't
>hesitate to contact me.
>
>Best Regards,
>
>Kathy Burns
>
>Applications Engineer
>RF Safety Products
>kathy.burns@L-3com.com <mailto:kathy.burns@L-3com.com>
>phone: 631-231-1700 ext. 328
>fax: 631-231-1711
>http://www.narda-sts.com <http://www.nardamicrowave.com/>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 13:26:27 -0400
From: joseph.greco@kodak.com
Subject: Study Questions Class 2 Laser Safety
From: Joseph M. Greco
The following may be of interest to the laser safety community.
J. M. Greco, CHP
Eastman Kodak Company
joseph.greco@kodak.com
_______________________________
Optics.org - news ? Study questions Class 2 safety
Exclusive from Opto & Laser Europe (OLE) magazine, E-mail info@optics.org
The eye's blink reflex cannot be regarded as protection against
overexposure to laser radiation, according to a German researcher.
Hans-Dieter Reidenbach from the University of Cologne found that the eye's
blink reflex does not exist for coherent light sources. He says that his
findings mean that Class 2 lasers can now no longer be regarded as safe and
that greater care should be taken when using low-power lasers.
The current laser-safety standards are based on the assumption that most
people have a blink reflex that closes the eye before 250 ms of exposure.
This figure, however, was calculated using flashlamps more than 40 years
ago during atom-bomb research.
"Our original work used incoherent radiation, such as a camera flashlight,
which confirmed that most people have a blink reflex. When we tried the
same experiment with lasers, we found that less than 20% of our volunteers
exhibited a blink reflex when illuminated by a laser with a power of
between 0.8 and 1.0 mW and at wavelengths of 670, 635 and 532 nm," said
Reidenbach.
In fact, at 670 nm none of the volunteers showed a blink reflex. Reidenbach
admits that he finds his own results surprising and he plans to conduct
more research to verify these findings. "We tested 200 volunteers at the
Laser exhibition in June and we want to test a total of 1000 people," he
said.
He has a hypothesis to explain the results: "I believe the difference is
the picture on the retina. A laser produces a small dot of about 10 to 15
µm in diameter, whereas a flashlight gives a dot of about 1 mm in diameter,
thus illuminating the entire fovea. Every cell in the fovea contributes 1
pA of current and you need to pass a certain threshold to achieve a blink
reflex."
Reidenbach's results have been met with scepticism from laser-safety
experts. Karl Schulmeister from the Austrian Research Centre in
Seibersdorf, Austria, has been involved in the development of the new
edition of the international laser-safety standard and took part in
Reidenbach's study. He said: "I do not want it to be said that Class 2
lasers are unsafe. This is not true. There is a large safety margin built
into the standards and Reidenbach's work does not change this."
Schulmeister also questioned Reidenbach's test method. "The volunteers were
told that they would be targeted, so they were not startled when it
happened. The blink reflex works much better when the subject is surprised
by the laser beam."
David O'Brart, a consultant ophthalmologist at St Thomas's Hospital in the
UK, agrees. "The fact that people know that the laser beam is coming could
affect the result. However, Reidenbach's work does raise several issues
regarding the blink reflex and laser safety, and these issues need to be
addressed."
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 14:16:28 -0400
From: William V Lipton <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM>
Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: medical misadministrations]
In fact, when I brought up this issue, earlier, I remember some responses from
hp's indicating that they did not consider preventing medical
misadministrations to be their responsibility.
I'm sure that misadministrations are investigated, but the continuing
occurrence of these events indicates that not enough is being done. A good
program must be proactive as well as reactive. Also, and this is pure
speculation on my part, I suspect that hospitals do not have an adequate
program to share information on these events. Thus, each licensee has to
learn its lessons the hard way. (The easy way is when it happens to someone
else, the hard way is when it happens to you.)
The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.
Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com
William V Lipton wrote:
> This is posted with permission of the sender.
> Bill
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: medical misadministrations
> Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 10:43:31 -0500
> From: "Ray Wery" <Rayw@waushosp.org>
> To: <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM>
>
> Mr Lipton
>
> I believe that the standard procedure is for the licensee to conduct an
> evaluation of all medical misadministrations, analyze causes, and
> produce a plan of action that will address the problems found and act on
> them. This will, in most cases, involve everyone involved in the
> radiation safety program.
> Do you have any information that this does not occur?
> Do you have any information that there are similar incidents occurring
> and Radiation Safety personnel are ignoring the issue?
> You seem to have an opinion that "medical HP's" are not providing
> professional services because misadministrations occur. I believe that
> you can find information on error analysis of medical misadministrations
> if you look. For example:
> Radiation injury from x-ray exposure during brachytherapy localization.
> Med Phys 2000 Jul;27(7):1681-1684.
> Thomadsen BR, Paliwal BR, Petereit DG, Ranallo FN
>
> I do not offer any excuses, radiation safety personnel should assist in
> the design of procedures that will ensure that services are delivered as
> prescribed. When problems arise they should design changes to reduce
> the likelihood of the problem arising again, while not creating
> additional problems. I do not believe that the identification of
> problems indicate that HP's are not doing their job.
>
> Ray Wery, M.S., D.A.B.R.
> Medical Physicist/Radiation Safety Officer
> Wausau Hospital
> Wausau, WI 54401
> 715-847-2292
> rayw@waushosp.org
>
> >>> William V Lipton <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM> 09/05/01 06:31AM >>>
> I'll dare to use the "e" word, again. There seems to be an epidemic of
> medical misadminstrations, that seem mostly due to human error:
>
> 8/7/96 - 10/18/00 - Providence Hospital, Washington, DC - 14
> misadministrations where approximately 3000 rads was delivered with
> 1200-1500 rads prescribed with a Sr-90 eye applicator.
>
> 8/31/01 - St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, MN - delivered dose from Co-60
> gamma knife 39% greater than prescribed due to timer entry error.
>
> 8/31/01 - University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, KS - Technician
> administered wrong radionuclide to patient.
>
> (I'm not counting the 8/21/01 misadministration at Wyoming Medical
> Center, where the misadministration resulted from highly technical
> issues.)
>
> I'd be interested to know whether the medical hp's are doing anything to
> improve human performance in this area.
>
> BTW: I don't buy the previous excuses, when I raised this issue, that,
> "It's not my job." According to the HPS Prospectus, "The Society is a
> professional organization whose mission is to promote the practice of
> radiation safety..." This seems to be one area where "the practice of
> radiation safety" seems to need improvement.
>
> The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
> It's not about dose, it's about trust.
>
> Bill Lipton
> liptonw@dteenergy.com
>
>
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 14:29:38 -0400
From: "Bauman, Rodney L. (84U) " <84u@BECHTELJACOBS.ORG>
Subject: RE: Kursk: Potential nuclear hazards
During operation, a PWR's pressurizer contains water covered by a steam
bubble - not pressurized noble gasses. By either expanding (by electric
heaters) or collapsing (by water spray) the steam bubble, the pressurizer is
capable of regulating the reactor coolant system's (RCS) pressure. This
steam bubble "goes away" during RCS cool-down/depressurization. This is
what is commonly termed "going solid."
I do not know why the Kursk's reactors required pressurized gas that would
still be present after shutdown/cool-down. Maybe it has something to do
with the control rod drive units. Control rods entering a reactor core from
underneath normally utilize pressurized gas to drive rods during a reactor
scrams (however, I don't know if the pressurized gas is used for every
reactor scram or just those coincident with a loss of AC power).
Rodney Bauman, CHP, RRPT
Bechtel Jacobs Company, LLC
Project Health Physicist
ETTP and Y-12 Waste Operations
Y-12 Plant Bldg. 9624, MS 8222
Voice: 865.241.5344
Pager: 865.417.0561
Fax: 865.576.3946
84u@bechteljacobs.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BERNARD L COHEN [SMTP:blc+@PITT.EDU]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 12:45 PM
> To: Bjorn Cedervall
> Cc: internet RADSAFE
> Subject: Re: Kursk: Potential nuclear hazards
>
>
> On Tue, 4 Sep 2001, Bjorn Cedervall wrote:
> >
> > Now, on page 15 it says that the reactor is pressurized by gas (argon or
> > nitrogen). -Reserve gas? I don't understand how this gas comes into the
> > picture. Can anyone explain?
>
> --In a PWR, the pressure is regulated by the pressurizer which has
> water from the reactor in the bottom and gas in the top. The interface is
> kept in sight so one knows that the water pressure is equal to the gas
> pressure which is easily measured and regulated. The pressurizer gained
> notoriety in the TMI accident because it was filled with water and no
> interface was visible. The operators interpreted this as meaning that
> there was too much water in the reactor and hence they throttled back
> (almost shut down) the emergency cooling water. But the reason the
> pressurizer was filled with water was that the exit valve was stuck open
> so water was pouring out thru the pressurizer. Thus the water was lost and
> not replaced.
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 15:37:18 -0400
From: Susan Gawarecki <loc@ICX.NET>
Subject: Congress is back!
>From the Energy Communities Alliance "Monday Update"
Congress is back from recess and the budget battle resumes. October 1
is the beginning of the next fiscal year, and currently none of the
appropriations bills have been sent to the President. Also, the OMB and
CBO have both released budget figures noting reduced surplus
estimates--sure to make the appropriations process even more
contentious.
The Energy and Water Development Appropriations (HR 2311) is
awaitingConference Committee consideration. [Note: This will determine
FY2002 Environmental Management program funding for Oak Ridge and the
rest of the DOE complex.]
PRICE ANDERSON ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Sep. 6 - House Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy and Air
Quality, 2:00 PM 2322 Rayburn Reauthorization of Price-Anderson Act
You can view the hearing online from the Committee's web site at:
http://www.house.gov/commerce
Note: This hearing was originally scheduled for Sep. 7 at 9:30 AM.
The ECA sent a letter to Congressman Joe Barton, Chair of the House
Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality
stating ECA's support for a simple renewal of the Price-Anderson Act.
The letter says in part:
"To date, much of the debate surrounding Price-Anderson has focused on
nuclear utilities and the protection it provides to communities around
nuclear power plants. While this is an important aspect of the Act, the
impact of the legislation's expiration on the municipalitites ECA
represents has gone largely unnoticed. Expiration of Price-Anderson
would have repercussions on DOE, its contractors and the communities
impacted by DOE facilities. Price-Anderson's unique coverage extends
not only to DOE contractors, but also to subcontractors and suppliers.
In some ECA members communities, municipal departments that provide fire
protection and emergency services to DOE rely on Price-Anderson
protections. Without this coverage, these communities would be liable
in the event of an accident."
Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) is the membership organization of
local governments that are adjacent to or impacted by Department of
Energy activities. For more information on ECA, visit the ECA Web Site
at http://www.energyca.org.
- --
.....................................................
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee
-----
A schedule of meetings on DOE issues is posted on our Web site
http://www.local-oversight.org/meetings.html - E-mail loc@icx.net
.....................................................
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 12:32:13 -0700
From: "Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Alaska Asks Feds for Radiation Tests
Index:
Alaska Asks Feds for Radiation Tests
UK minister mulls allowing new nuclear power plants
MHI to join Westinghouse project to develop nuke reactor
EU report calls for close look at Czech nuke plant
Hiroshima Bomber to Be Restored
Russians flee raising of "radioactive" sub Kursk
Illinois Accepts Closed American Ecology Disposal Site
Japan urge tangible progress on nuclear issue with Pakistan
Study finds J&J coated stent completely effective
===================================
Alaska Asks Feds for Radiation Tests
ANCHORAGE, Alaska Sept 5 (AP) - Alaska's environmental officials have
asked the U.S. Department of Energy to investigate possible radiation
contamination on and around Amchitka Island, where the military
exploded atomic devices from 1965 to 1971.
In a letter to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham last month, the state
said a thorough assessment is needed to reassure Alaska natives on
other Aleutian islands that subsistence foods are safe. Amchitka is
uninhabited, but people who live on nearby islands rely on fishing
and hunting.
The energy department has said it has found no evidence that buried
radiation from the tests may be leaching to the surface or into the
ocean. But the agency has conducted no tests for radiation there
since the 1970s, state officials say.
Two years ago, the energy department agreed to finance a medical
surveillance program for people who worked on the island during the
atomic era, and Congress has funded a benefits program for former
Amchitka workers who later developed radiation-related cancers.
- -------------------
UK minister mulls allowing new nuclear power plants
ABERDEEN, Scotland, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Britain's government review of
energy policy will consider the possibility of new nuclear power
stations built by the private sector, Energy Minister Brian Wilson
said on Wednesday.
Although none has been built for 14 years, Wilson said there was no
moratorium on building new nuclear reactors in Britain, unlike some
European countries. And the country faces some stark options as the
existing stations near the end of their life.
"The review will have to ask the question of whether there is a place
for nuclear new build," he told Reuters at an oil industry exhibition
in Aberdeen.
Britain launched a review of its energy policy in July to tackle the
problems of increasingly strict emissions targets, growing reliance
on imported energy, and the expected decommissioning most of its
nuclear plants within 20 years.
The powerful environmental lobby is opposed to atomic power because
of its radiation risks, but nuclear helps Britain meet strict carbon
dioxide emissions targets because it does not create pollution
suspected of contributing to global warming.
"The question needs to be asked because nuclear accounts for 25
percent of the UK's electricity and if you lose nuclear and at the
same time you are trying to reduce emissions, it is difficult to
square that circle," Wilson added.
Britain's governing Labour Party was fiercely anti-nuclear in the
1970s and 1980s, but the current government has distanced itself from
that policy, despite continued popular opposition.
Wilson said there was no question of the government building a new
station itself, as it is seeking private sector solutions to power
generation.
"The question is whether someone will make the commercial decision to
build new stations as the existing ones approach the end of their
lives," he said.
State-owned British Nuclear Fuels is already in preliminary talks
with the government regulator about building a new reactor ahead of
the conclusion of the government's energy review at the end of this
year.
The government plans to sell a 49 percent stake in British Nuclear
Fuels.
Wilson said the review had yet to reveal its findings, but said he
personally supported nuclear power.
"I am supportive of the contribution of nuclear power, but my
personal preferences aren't the determining factor," he said.
- -----------------
MHI to join Westinghouse project to develop nuke reactor
TOKYO, Sept. 5 (Kyodo) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) said
Wednesday it has reached a basic agreement to join a project by
Westinghouse Electric Co. of the United States to develop a new 1,000-
megawatt nuclear reactor.
MHI said in a press release that Westinghouse is aiming to receive
design certification for the new advanced pressurized water reactor,
called the AP1000, from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the
end of 2004.
The two companies will finalize the contract by the end of this year,
MHI said.
The AP1000 will be based on Westinghouse's existing 600-megawatt
reactor, the AP600.
MHI also said the development program involves Electricite de France
and British Nuclear Fuels PLC, and that MHI will be involved in the
development and design of the AP1000's reactor core, system and
equipment.
- -------------------
EU report calls for close look at Czech nuke plant
STRASBOURG, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The European Parliament on Wednesday
called for a careful examination of the environmental impact from a
controversial Czech nuclear plant, potentially paving the way for its
closure.
The Temelin plant has been at the centre of a heated debate between
the Czech Republic and Austria, which opposes nuclear power and views
the plant -- located near its border -- as an environmental threat.
The Czech Republic is one of the candidate countries keen to join the
15-nation European Union. The European Parliament adopted a broad
report assessing progress made by the Czechs in all fields to achieve
its candidacy, including a call for a new analysis of risks posed by
the nuclear plant.
The report suggests that the new analysis, to be conducted by the EU,
consider closing the plant. The shutdown should be considered because
of concerns about the safety of its structure and a worrying lack of
data on its environmental impact.
Green party members who have successfully fought for the inclusion of
the Temelin issue in the country report, welcomed the Parliament's
vote.
"Temelin is an EU problem. This is an offer to the Czechs to find a
EU solution," Austrian parliamentarian Mercedes Echerer told Reuters.
"One way of doing it could be shutting it down."
The Parliament's vote means that the Czech Republic will have to
respond to concerns about the safety of the plant when it starts
incorporating the EU legislation for energy and environment.
The report also calls for an international forum to evaluate the
price-tag for closing the plant, suggesting it may be possible to
hold a donors' conference to help the Czech Republic meet the costs.
The Greens said they hoped the Temelin debate would spark a broader
discussion on the state of nuclear plants in the accession countries,
most of which are former Soviet satellites.
Many of the plants were built during the years of communism and do
not meet strict EU safety standards. Closing them would be costly to
the 12 countries which are candidates to become EU members.
- -----------------
Hiroshima Bomber to Be Restored
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Enola Gay, the plane used in the bombing of
Hiroshima, is headed for restoration and then display two years from
now, much as it looked in 1945.
The plane that ushered in the atomic age was loaded aboard a flatbed
trailer Wednesday for transport to a storage and restoration facility
in Suitland, Md.
In recent years, the front portion of the plane was seen by about 4
million visitors at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and
Space Museum on the National Mall. That display followed the
cancellation of a larger and bitterly contested exhibit about the
birth of the nuclear age.
The plane will not be seen publicly again until December 2003 when it
will become a centerpiece of the Smithsonian's new Udvar-Hazy Center
near Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va.
``Enola Gay is significant in its own right because of the mission it
flew,'' said Thomas M. Alison, chief of collections at the Air and
Space Museum. On Aug. 6 1945, the plane's nine-member crew made
history when they dropped the 9,700-pound atomic bomb ``Little Boy''
on Hiroshima, Japan.
The blast killed 66,000 people and injured as many others.
``We're going to have the opportunity to put the whole aircraft
together and on display for visitors to see,'' said Alison. The
aluminum-skinned bomber will appear much the same as when it rolled
off an assembly line at the Martin Aircraft Company plant in Omaha,
Neb., in June, 1945.
On the Hiroshima flight, much of the plane's heavy armor plate was
left off to enable it to fly higher and farther than most of the
nearly 4,000 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses manufactured during the war.
``Enola Gay has less than 200 hours flying time,'' said Alison. The
typical B-29 spent thousands of hours in combat. The Norden
bombsight, the original propellers, and much of the internal
components used during the historic mission will be part of the
restored aircraft.
When the $300 million Udvar-Hazy center opens, the plane will be
displayed among more than 180 aircraft, 100 spacecraft and related
artifacts spanning a century of aviation history.
They include the prototype space shuttle orbiter ``Enterprise,''
bomber and fighter aircraft from World War I through the Persian Gulf
War, and experimental aircraft. The shuttle-borne Spacelab module
will be on display.
The Enola Gay got its name from its pilot, Paul W. Tibbets Jr., in
honor of his mother.
The historic Enola Gay:
Manufactured by Martin Aircraft Company of Omaha, Neb., under
licensing agreement with the Boeing Aircraft Co.
Designated B-29-45-MO by the U.S. Army Air Corps when delivered on
June, 15, 1945, it was named Enola Gay by Col. Paul W. Tibbets Jr. in
honor of his mother.
Wingspan 141 feet; length 99 feet; net weight (empty) 69,000 lbs;
gross weight (loaded) 140,000 lbs.
Postwar service included ``Operation Crossroads'' atomic testing
program in the Pacific. It was transferred to the Smithsonian
Institution on July 4, 1949.
- ------------------
Russians flee raising of "radioactive" sub Kursk
ROSLYAKOVO, Russia Sept 5 (Reuters) - Russian naval officer Alexei
Zaishely picks up a bag and walks with his wife and baby to the bus
stop in their remote Arctic village, where the Kursk submarine will
be hauled into dry dock this month.
Zaishely is one of several men sending their families away from run-
down Roslyakovo on the Barents Sea to escape the radiation risk they
fear from the return of the 18,000-tonne wreck from the seabed.
"I'm not afraid for myself, you see," said Zaishely's wife Nina, as
she left to stay with relatives in central Russia. "I fear for my
baby, who has his whole life ahead of him and I'm responsible for his
health.
"That is why we decided to leave this place and stay away until the
situation becomes clear."
President Vladimir Putin has pledged to raise the Kursk to allow
decent burials for the 118 crewmen who died on board and to try to
find out what sank one of the Russia's most advanced submarines last
August.
He also says Russia has an obligation to get the Kursk's two nuclear
reactors off the seabed and out of busy fishing lanes used by Russia
and its Scandinavian neighbors.
But the people of tiny Roslyakovo and many of the 380,000 residents
along the coast in Murmansk -- the largest city above the Arctic
Circle -- say the salvage jeopardizes their future.
"There have been several emergency situations during ordinary repair
work on ships and submarines in dock," Zaishely said. "But to move a
submarine with such damage to the dock safely ... well, I think it
could be dangerous."
Officials insist the project is safe and have erected an electronic
sign in Roslyakovo to display radiation levels. They say they have a
contingency plan to bus residents to Murmansk should any radiation
problems arise.
But the locals are unconvinced.
"What that electronic board shows is rubbish," said local man Edik
Kononchuk. "The real levels are different."
RELATIVES WANT ACTION ON BOTCHED RESCUE
Russia has promised to make the salvage a model of media openness,
after withering criticism last year for its confused handling of the
nation's worst submarine disaster.
The navy initially took two days to reveal a "malfunction" on board
the Kursk, then delivered a rash of contradictory statements while
refusing to accept foreign help in the attempted rescue of any
surviving crew.
A note found on the body of Dmitry Kolesnikov, one of a dozen men
whose bodies were brought to the surface last autumn, showed that
some of the crew had survived for at least a few hours after two
explosions in the Kursk's torpedo bay.
"The people guilty of not saving them should be punished,"
Kolesnikov's father Roman told Ekho Moskvy radio Wednesday, adding
that many victims' relatives had signed a letter to Putin and the
prosecutor general asking them to open a criminal case over the
matter.
Some in Roslyakovo said the authorities were taking more risks to try
to atone for last year's mistakes.
"We fear for our kids but where could we go?" said resident Anna
Zvezdina, adding that not everyone could afford to leave town.
Olga Lapina, another local woman, said the future was bleak. "Soon
people in this town will start dying off like flies and no one will
tell us the reason."
- --------------
Illinois Accepts Closed American Ecology Disposal Site
BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 5, 2001--
State custody decision reaffirms American Ecology's ability to
safely close and stabilize radioactive waste disposal facilities in
compliance with state and federal requirements
Jack Lemley, President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
American Ecology Corporation (Nasdaq:ECOL), today announced that the
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety has accepted permanent custody
of the low-level radioactive waste ("LLRW") disposal site operated by
subsidiary US Ecology, Inc. from 1968 to 1978. "This marks only the
second time a LLRW disposal facility has been successfully closed,
stabilized, and returned to a state nuclear regulatory agency for
long-term institutional control," Lemley stated. In 1997, the State
of Nevada accepted transfer of US Ecology's Beatty, Nevada LLRW
disposal facility.
"Illinois' acceptance of the Sheffield site represents a significant
milestone for American Ecology Corporation, subsidiary US Ecology,
and the nuclear industry in general," Lemley said, adding "This
demonstrates the strong commitment of our company and the industry to
responsibly manage the wastes produced by society's beneficial uses
of radioactive materials."
Thomas W. Ortciger, Director of the Illinois Department of Nuclear
Safety, accepted transfer of the radioactive waste disposal site on
August 10, 2001, in accordance with a 1988 court-approved settlement
agreement. Return of the site to the Department begins the final
phase of the closely regulated life cycle of a LLRW disposal
facility.
American Ecology Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides a
variety of radioactive, PCB, hazardous and non-hazardous waste
services to commercial and government customers throughout the United
States, such as nuclear power plants, medical and academic
institutions, steel mills and petro-chemical facilities.
Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, the Company is the oldest radioactive
and hazardous waste services company in the United States.
- ------------------
Japan urge tangible progress on nuclear issue with Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 5 (Kyodo) - Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Sadaaki
Numata on Wednesday said ''tangible progress'' to resolve matters
relating to nuclear proliferation would facilitate the resumption of
Japanese economic aid to Pakistan, suspended since 1998 in protest
against Pakistani nuclear tests.
Numata told a press conference jointly addressed by members of the
Pakistan-Japan Business Forum that Japan wanted to help Pakistan in
tiding over its economic difficulties but has a national policy that
bars aid to a country that carried out nuclear tests.
Asked if Japan was still advocating for Pakistan's adherence to the
nuclear test-ban treaty (CTBT) as a condition for resuming aid
despite a U.S. refusal to ratify it, Numata said Japan was looking
forward for tangible progress by Pakistan in resolving matters
relating to nuclear proliferation.
''We do look forward to tangible progress in matters relating to
nuclear proliferation, particularly in the wake of the fact that you
have a long-standing problem with your neighbor which has assumed
nuclear dimensions,'' he said.
Numata said Japan views the CTBT as a very important step on global
disarmament and the U.S. refusal to ratify the CTBT was an area in
which ''we do not see eye to eye with the United States.''
He urged Pakistan to sign the CTBT as early as possible since it
would lead to a resumption of Japanese economic aid.
- -----------------
Study finds J&J coated stent completely effective
CHICAGO, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Researchers reported on Tuesday that an
antibiotic-coated stent developed by Johnson & Johnson to prop open
clogged arteries completely prevented reclogging during a seven-month
period, and doctors said it could radically change the treatment of
coronary artery disease.
The news sent shares of J&J, a component of the Dow Jones industrial
average, up more than 6 percent. Stock prices for rival medical
device makers fell on the news.
Stents, which are tiny metal tubes used to prop open clogged
arteries, often narrow from scar tissue that develops after insertion
of the devices. Different companies are coating stents with various
drugs in an effort to block growth of the scar tissue and, thereby,
remove the need for surgeons to repeat the procedures.
"This trial and this device could revolutionize the treatment of
coronary artery disease," said Charles Davidson, director of cardiac
catheterization at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
Results of the so-called RAVEL study of the J&J device, which
involved 238 patients in 19 centers across Europe and Latin America,
were presented on Tuesday at the European Society of Cardiology
Annual Congress in Stockholm.
Davidson, who is participating in a U.S. trial of the device, said
that by reducing the threat of renewed blocking, or restenosis,
physicians will more likely choose stents for treatment of patients
who are at high risk of requiring a repeat procedure. He said
physicians frequently recommend coronary bypass surgery for high-risk
patients, who include diabetics, people with smaller arteries, and
people who have long-sections of blocked arteries. Currently, about
1.5 million stents are implanted each year, said Davidson.
The device, produced by J&J's Cordis unit, prevented restenosis for
up to 210 days after implantation in patients with stable or unstable
angina -- chest pains that often precede a heart attack.
The results from the study show that J&J's drug-coated stent had a
significant advantage over normal metal stents, where 26 percent of
patients experienced restenosis.
Brian Firth, a physician and vice president of medical affairs and
worldwide health economics for Cordis, said the study's results would
help speed the product's arrival on the market. "The better the data,
the better your chances of getting that approved in a timely
fashion," Firth said in an interview.
The device releases the drug sirolimus, a naturally occurring
antibiotic, preventing excess tissue from forming after a stent is
placed in the body.
"While most investors were anticipating the data would be favorable
for coated stents, a zero rate of restenosis is better than expected
and will likely result in rapid uptake of coated stents once launched
in Europe (in) early 2002, and the United States (in) early 2003,"
said Merrill Lynch analyst Dan Lemaitre.
"AMAZING DATA"
"It's amazing data," said Lehman Brothers analyst David Gruber. "Zero
percent restenosis is a big deal." Gruber said if follow-up data
confirms the initial findings, this "establishes a high hurdle for
competitive stents."
Investors cheered the news, sending Johnson & Johnson stock up $3.30
to $56.06, close to its all-time high of $57.50, in closing trade. It
was one of the biggest percentage gainers on the New York Stock
Exchange. Shares of medical device coatings maker SurModics Inc.
<SRDX.O>, which is in a pact with Cordis for stent-coating
technology, rose $7.57, or 16.24 percent, to $54.17 on the Nasdaq.
Shares of potential competitors, Novoste Corp. <NOVT.O>, Guidant
Corp. <GDT.N> and Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc. <ANP.TO> <ANPI.O>,
fell on Tuesday, as the new data on J&J's experimental stent
indicated it could pose a stiff challenge.
"I would say today's stock movement represents what is truly great
data from J&J and a game-changing device in the field of
interventional cardiology," said Glenn Novarro of CS First Boston.
For competitors, Gruber said the news raises the bar for others
studying different drug coating compounds on stents. "Zero restenosis
reinforces the first-in competitive advantage," he said.
Shares of Novoste, a Norcross, Georgia-based maker of a radiation-
based treatment for clogged arteries, plunged $8.23 to $10.02, or
45.1 percent. Shares of Angiotech, a Canadian biotech company which
licenses its anti-cancer drug paclitaxel to Cook Inc. for use in
experimental, drug-coated stents, fell $11.55 to $45.50, or 20.25
percent, both on Nasdaq.
Guidant, a medical device firm that is to be the sole distributor of
Cook's paclitaxel coated stents, also saw its stock fall 3.52
percent, to $34.85.
STENT MARKET SEEN DOUBLING IN SIZE BY 2004
Industry analysts said the stent market, currently $2.3 billion,
could easily double in size in the next three to four years as
clinicians convert to coated stents that will fetch a hefty premium
over bare metal stents.
Gruber projects J&J will be able to charge $2,100 to $2,200 per
device, compared with the current $1,200 for a bare metal stent.
Other analysts put the figure as high as $3,000.
"We have not set a price," Firth said of the price speculation. "The
first step was to see how well it worked. That has different
implications about what value we properly place on this device," he
said.
Firth said he has had initial meetings with the Center for Medicare
and Medicaid regarding reimbursement of the new stent and will
continue to do so as the company wends its way through the regulatory
processes.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy Perle Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100
Director, Technical Extension 2306
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service Fax:(714) 668-3149
ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/scperle
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 21:14:25 +0100
From: "julian ginniver" <julian.ginniver@lineone.net>
Subject: medical misadventures
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
- ------=_NextPart_000_0018_01C1364F.BD941780
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charset="iso-8859-1"
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Bill,
I find that I can't agree with your suggestion that because event =
occur in the medical applications of radiation and radioactive material =
that these events are indicative of laxity on the part of our colleagues =
in this area. Within the nuclear industry there are ongoing efforts to =
highlight the lessons we can learn from the events that continue to =
occur. Does this indicate a lack of diligence on our part? We can only =
take heart from our obvious desire to improve and use formal and =
informal routes (such as Radsafe) to do what we can to highlight these =
events. What I would like to know is if, as you suggested, these events =
are not widely promulgated through the medical profession. As you so =
rightly pointed out we should endevour to make everyone aware of the =
lessons that can be learnt.
Best Regards
Julian Ginniver
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Bill,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> I find that I can't agree with =
your=20
suggestion that because event occur in the medical applications of =
radiation and=20
radioactive material that these events are indicative of laxity on the =
part of=20
our colleagues in this area. Within the nuclear industry there=20
are ongoing efforts to highlight the lessons we can learn from the =
events=20
that continue to occur. Does this indicate a lack of diligence on =
our=20
part? We can only take heart from our obvious desire to improve =
and use=20
formal and informal routes (such as Radsafe) to do what we can to =
highlight=20
these events. What I would like to know is if, as you suggested, =
these=20
events are not widely promulgated through the medical profession. =
As you=20
so rightly pointed out we should endevour to make everyone aware of the =
lessons=20
that can be learnt.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Best Regards</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> =
=20
Julian Ginniver</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 16:35:32 -0500
From: "Eric S. Pittman" <e-pittman@northwestern.edu>
Subject: Gloves For NaI
Could someone help me by recommending a good disposable glove, other than
latex for obvious reasons, for work with NaI?
Thanks
Eric
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Eric S. Pittman
Health Physics
e-pittman@northwestern.edu
Phone (312) 503-1929
Fax (312) 503-0547
Northwestern University
Office Of Research Safety
B-106 Ward Building, W223
303 East Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
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Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2001 07:18:16 -0400
From: William V Lipton <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM>
Subject: Re: medical misadventures
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Virtually every major event at a power reactor is reviewed by other
power reactors to determine whether they are vulnerable to a simlar
event, and corrective actions are taken, as appropriate. I don't see
that happening in the medical hp community. Informal information
exchange is important, but you should also have procedures that assure
documented reviews of key events.
I didn't intend to imply laxity, except for those who claim, "It's not
my job.", or "I don't check the calculations, I just sign off on them!"
In the power reactor industry, this would be considered an "opportunity
for improvement." And, yes, "I'm here to help you."
The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.
Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com
julian ginniver wrote:
> Bill, I find that I can't agree with your suggestion that because
> event occur in the medical applications of radiation and radioactive
> material that these events are indicative of laxity on the part of our
> colleagues in this area. Within the nuclear industry there are
> ongoing efforts to highlight the lessons we can learn from the events
> that continue to occur. Does this indicate a lack of diligence on our
> part? We can only take heart from our obvious desire to improve and
> use formal and informal routes (such as Radsafe) to do what we can to
> highlight these events. What I would like to know is if, as you
> suggested, these events are not widely promulgated through the medical
> profession. As you so rightly pointed out we should endevour to make
> everyone aware of the lessons that can be learnt. Best
> Regards Julian Ginniver
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Virtually every major event at a power reactor is reviewed by other power
reactors to determine whether they are vulnerable to a simlar event, and
corrective actions are taken, as appropriate. I don't see that happening
in the medical hp community. Informal information exchange is important,
but you should also have procedures that assure documented reviews of key
events.
<p>I didn't intend to imply laxity, except for those who claim, "It's not
my job.", or "I don't check the calculations, I just sign off on them!"
<p>In the power reactor industry, this would be considered an "opportunity
for improvement." And, yes, "I'm here to help you."
<p>The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
<br>It's not about dose, it's about trust.
<p>Bill Lipton
<br>liptonw@dteenergy.com
<p>julian ginniver wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE><style></style>
<font size=-1>Bill,</font><font size=-1>
I find that I can't agree with your suggestion that because event occur
in the medical applications of radiation and radioactive material that
these events are indicative of laxity on the part of our colleagues in
this area. Within the nuclear industry there are ongoing efforts
to highlight the lessons we can learn from the events that continue to
occur. Does this indicate a lack of diligence on our part?
We can only take heart from our obvious desire to improve and use formal
and informal routes (such as Radsafe) to do what we can to highlight these
events. What I would like to know is if, as you suggested, these
events are not widely promulgated through the medical profession.
As you so rightly pointed out we should endevour to make everyone aware
of the lessons that can be learnt.</font> <font size=-1>Best Regards</font><font size=-1>
Julian Ginniver</font></blockquote>
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2001 07:50:51 -0400
From: Reno_Fabii@doh.state.fl.us
Subject: TLD Cage
This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand
this format, some or all of this message may not be legible.
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I run the environmental TLD program for the state of Florida.
The vendor who supplies our plastic "cages" ( Sunstate Environmental
Products) has gone out of business.
Does anyone know of another company who has a similiar product?
Thanks,
Reno
END
Reno Fabii
ES II, Bureau of Radiation Control
(407) 297 - 2095 SunCom:326-2095
FAX:(407) 297-2085
reno_fabii@doh.state.fl.us
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<TITLE>TLD Cage</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">I run the environmental TLD program =
for the state of Florida.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">The vendor who supplies our plastic =
"cages" ( Sunstate Environmental Products) has gone out of =
business.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Does anyone know of another company =
who has a similiar product?</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Thanks,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Reno</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">END</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Reno Fabii</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Tahoma">ES II, Bureau of Radiation =
Control</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Tahoma">(407) 297 - 2095 =
SunCom:326-2095</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Tahoma">FAX:(407) 297-2085</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Tahoma">reno_fabii@doh.state.fl.us</FONT>
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2001 08:26:52 -0500
From: "Eric S. Pittman" <e-pittman@northwestern.edu>
Subject: Gloves for NaI
Thank you to everyone that responded to my query yesterday. I appreciate it.
Eric
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Eric S. Pittman
Health Physics
e-pittman@northwestern.edu
Phone (312) 503-1929
Fax (312) 503-0547
Northwestern University
Office Of Research Safety
B-106 Ward Building, W223
303 East Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
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