Re: Worker exposed to 1,000 times higher-than-normal radiation

["Franz Schoenhofer" <franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT>]

Private:

Franz Schoenhofer

Habicherg. 31/7

A-1160 Vienna, AUSTRIA

Phone: -43 699 11681319

e-mail: franz.schoenhofer@chello.at



Office:

MR Dr. Franz Schoenhofer

Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management

Dep. I/8U, Radiation Protection

Radetzkystr. 2

A-1031 Vienna, AUSTRIA

phone: +43-1-71100-4458

fax: +43-1-7122331

e-mail: franz.schoenhofer@bmu.gv.at







-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

Von: Sandy Perle <sandyfl@EARTHLINK.NET>

An: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Datum: Dienstag, 25. Dezember 2001 01:50

Betreff: Re: Worker exposed to 1,000 times higher-than-normal radiation





> At 09:50 AM 12/24/01 -0800, Sandy Perle wrote:

> >

> >Japanese worker exposed to 1,000 times higher-than-normal radiation

> >

> >TOKYO, Dec. 21 (Kyodo) - A 34-year-old company employee was exposed

> >to 1,000 times the maximum annual permissible level of radiation at a

> >Tokyo

> hospital Friday while

> >setting up medical equipment, the science and technology ministry

> >said.

> **********************************************************************

> ****** *********** December 24, 2001

>

> Isn't that "permissible" level of 1 millisievert for a member of the

> public rather than a radiation instrument employee?

>

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------



Yes, it is, but the person was described in Sandy's posting as a person, who

normally has not worked with radiation, therefore he has to be regarded as a

member of the public.



On the other side, at least in most European Union countries the maximum

permissible dose is 20 mSv per year for radiation workers. Only in special

circumstances this dose may be as high as 50 mSv per year, provided that the

total dose during five years will not exceed 100 mSv.



1 Sv within a short time is clearly an exorbitant high dose, which is not to

be neglected. Especially alarming are the circumstances: negligance and

without doubt breaching of rules like checking the presence of people.



Therefore I think that this is really noteworthy and a real accident, not

comparable with a car accident. To comment, that he has not developed nausea

and therefore there is nothing special at all and it should not be mentioned

in the news - like one message on RADSAFE read - is not acceptable.



Franz









************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

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.