RE: ILLINOIS RADIOGRAPHER RECEIVED 15 SIEVERT (1,5

["Neil, David M" <neildm@id.doe.gov>]

Probably more than anyone would be happy about.  Of course, once is too

many.



I had an experience that may reflect on this. 

During the drydock repairs of a large ship, I was assigned to do a survey

tour of several areas on the bottom of the hull, which took a significant

time.  As I exited the vicinity, I was surprised to find myself on the

inside of a radiography posting that wasn't there when I started, and

shortly was met by a radiographer who was shaken to find out what had

happened.



It seems he had set up the posting around me without encountering me and was

making a final tour before the shot when I came out without him finding me

in the area.  Definitely a near miss.



Dave Neil		neildm@id.doe.gov







-----Original Message-----

From: William V Lipton [mailto:liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM]

Sent: Friday, May 24, 2002 10:15 AM

To: Sandy Perle; radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Subject: Re: ILLINOIS RADIOGRAPHER RECEIVED 15 SIEVERT (1,5



<SNIP>



The disturbing question:  How often does this situation occur, but is never

reported, because there is  no clinical injury?



The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

It's not about dose, it's about trust.

Curies forever.



Bill Lipton

liptonw@dteenergy.com





Sandy Perle wrote:



> Courtesy of Mike Russell, as posted on Powernet:

>

> AN ILLINOIS RADIOGRAPHER RECEIVED 15 SIEVERT (1,500 REM) TO HIS LOWER

> LEG in a June 2000 incident which the NRC has now rated at Level 3 on

> the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). According to an item

> posted today on the IAEA's NEWS events web site, Illinois authorities

> have now concluded that the industrial radiographer received a

> radiation burn from the 81-curie iridium-192 source while X-raying

> pipe welds at a facility in Channahon. The incident wasn't reported

> at the time of occurrence because the radiographer didn't realize he

> had been irradiated, but after his condition worsened and he was

> examined, a physician concluded the burn had resulted from the

> unshielded source. The final Level 3 rating, indicating a serious

> incident, is the highest ever given to a U.S. radiation incident

> since the U.S. began using the international severity scale. It

> results from INES criteria for rating "overexposure of a worker

> resulting in acute health effects."

>

> -------------------------------------------------

> Sandy Perle

> Director, Technical

> ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service

> ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue

> Costa Mesa, CA 92626

>

> Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100  Extension 2306

> Fax:(714) 668-3149

>

> E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net

> E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com

>

> Personal Website: http://sandy-travels.com

> ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com

>



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