Re: respiratory tract dose

["Vincent King" <slavak@attbi.com>]

Radsafers,



I think the point has been that performing internal dose calculations are

more complicated than grabbing a quick reference or formula and popping out

the right answer, not that people don't want to help.  Internal dosimetry is

an entire specialty of health physics.  People who have the required "skills

and knowledge" understand this, and some have been tactfully (or not so

tactfully) trying to express this.



Since the original question mentioned licensing, I have to assume that NRC

or Agreement State oversight is somehow involved.    This implies that an

acceptable approach - from the regulators point of view - is necessary (not

to mention that if this "estimate" is done incorrectly, there could be legal

ramifications down the road for whatever facility/company is involved).



I commend Mr. Creeds efforts to attempt to address his issue, and I'm not

knocking the exchange of available technical information via Radsafe.  But

assuming a non-HP can be taught to perform internal dosimetry calculations

with a quick Radsafe answer crosses the line.  I'm an EMT, but if I had a

family member who required surgery, I wouldn't log in to a medical list

server to try to get tips on how to do it myself.  In fact, if I'm ethical,

my limited medical training would compel me to seek a qualified specialist.

Not knowing the details of Mr. Creed's situation, I won't speculate on how

rigorous his answer needs to be - that's his call.



I also agree that any rudeness toward him is completely unwarranted (and,

for Health Physics Society members, also stands in contrast to the HPS

ethic: "Members will gladly accept every opportunity to increase public

understanding of radiation protection and the objectives of the Society").

But I find myself in the position of having to agree with Bill Lipton's

point that too many "meter swingers" think they can answer any health

physics question, regardless of their areas and levels of competence.



Vincent King,

Grand Junction, CO





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

From: "Mercado, Don" <don.mercado@lmco.com>

To: "'William V Lipton'" <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM>; "Kevin Creed"

<creed@humboldt.edu>

Cc: <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>; "Luke George" <tlg2@humboldt.edu>

Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2003 9:38 AM

Subject: RE: respiratory tract dose





 He wasn't

> asking you to do the work for him, just supply the formulas and references

> to him and he'd do the work! Are you so unsure of your own skills and

> knowledge that you can't even do that????







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