RE: Radworker Layoff?

[Keith Welch <welch@jlab.org>]

If you're not already doing it, you should cover this briefly in Radworker

training.  If you tell people up front about it, the hope is that

if it happens to them, they'll remember something about it, and contact

you first.  Of course, you need a reasonably worked out policy so

that when they notify you, you can take them through some routine steps

(pull the dosimetry, monitor them, get them to check back with you after

a week or whatever, and if necessary help explain to their management that

they are temporarilly restricted from raiological areas for a good reason).

I would think you would be treading on thin ice if you laid someone

off because of a medical administration.  What kind of message does

that send?

Keith Welch

Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:25:24 -0600
From: "Michael Ford" <MFORD@PANTEX.COM>
Subject: Re: radsafe-digest V1 #214

Tom,

Don't lay the guy off.  Take away his dosimeter for 7 half-lives or until he no longer alarms your security portals.  We
deal with about 2 people a week who have undergone diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.  If they have to enter a security
area, we can handle that also.

A real handy instrument is the SAM 935.  We can get isotope-specific exposure rates and then determine if the administered
isotope will generate a reading on our dosimeters and/or when it no longer crosses the measurable threshold.

'Hope this helps.
v/r
Michael
 
 

 -----Original Message-----
From: Goff, Tom [mailto:gofft@WIPP.CARLSBAD.NM.US]
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2001 1:12 PM
To: 'radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu'
Cc: Kump, Dave
Subject: Rad Worker Layoff??
 
 

        Does anyone know of a precedent for disposition of radiological
workers because they can't wear TLDs due to therapeutic radioisotope
administration?  The issue being the high background from the patient's body
will increase the background dose to their TLD invalidating the occupational
dose determined by the TLD. I believe the SOP for most facilities is to
maintain the person's employment, but only outside of radiological areas
until the medical isotope is no longer a problem.

        If the individual can't be monitored then they can't work in a rad
area and therefore can't do their job.  Can they be laid off?
 

Tom Goff