Re: Demise of UNSCEAR?

[hflong@postoffice.pacbell.net]

Jerry, Bill, John and Radsafers,

Good effect (general efficiency) from a little of something bad in

overdose (either ALARA or radiation itself) is apparent here.



This reminds me of 1, the benefit of any change (lighting, music, or

their discontinuation) in industrial production, and 2, of worker

participation - as in Japanese (from America, then to America) "quality

circles".



"Underdosed" by Tom Bethell in Am. Spectator July 2002 and Health

Physics Special Issue on Radiation Hormesis reporting on Jerry's 1987

conference, have stimulated my re-read. Scientific practice evolves

slowly. I hope radiotherapy will no longer remain in oncology, and

health physicists will guide it



Howard Long.







Jerry Cohen wrote:



>

>

>

>      Bill,    Talking about myths; one of the biggest is that

>      workers are somehow better off healthwise if the person-rem

>      at a plant is lowered. This would be true only if one

>      accepts the LNT nonsense.  I am not impressed by companies

>      that boast of lower person-rem exposure, unless that

>      reduction is also accompanied by lower production costs

>      and/or production efficiency.    Another myth commonly

>      believed is that judicious scheduling of worker's time

>      allotments to assure that they will not exceed dose limits

>      is an integral part of a sound ALARA program. It is not

>      ALARA. Since exceeding dose limits is not an option,

>      management must do whatever it takes to keep workers within

>      limits. Compliance with regulatory dose limits is simply the

>      cost of doing business and not a part of  ALARA which

>      fundamentally involves the concept of optimization, not

>      minimization.

>

>

>      I used to believe that myth, which is generally broadcast by

>      those who have limited practical experience.

>

>      On the contrary, experience at nuclear power plants

>      generally shows that an effective ALARA program also

>      promotes good work practices, more efficient utilization of

>      resources, and high quality work.

>

>      The two major aspects of an ALARA program are:

>

>      1.  ALARA for collective dose - A program for managing

>      collective dose also promotes:

>      a.  work planning - The attention to detail required to

>      perform a job with ALARA also results in more efficient work

>      practices.

>      b.  training - dry runs on mock ups results in more

>      efficient work and fewer errors.

>      c.  lessons learned - Jobs must be reviewed and lessons

>      learned incorporated into planning for future work.  This

>      also reduces errors and results in more efficient work.

>      d.  job scheduling - The optimum frequency must be

>      determined for high dose jobs, to avoid underscheduling,

>      with resulting breakdowns, and overscheduling, which

>      generates unnecessary dose.

>

>      2.  even distribution of dose within work groups - This

>      promotes the more efficient utilization of the work force.

>      Management no longer has the luxury of  letting a few

>      workers carry the load and ignoring nonperformers.

>

>      In fact, the lessons learned from ALARA programs are being

>      used to promote improved work practices in the non-nuclear

>      side of utilities.

>

>      The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

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

>      Curies forever.

>

>      Bill Lipton

>      liptonw@dteenergy.com

>



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