Maybe the socio economic factor is that not preventing the theft by all the
workers, every shift will cause the mine to become unprofitable. It will
then close and the workers will have no jobs. I understand that South
African mining is very labour intensive which would compound the problem.
So the benefit is to the workers, community, government and company.
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan L Gawarecki [mailto:loc@icx.net]
Sent: Tuesday, 17 June 2003 4:19 AM
To: Sandy Perle
Cc: radsafe
Subject: Re: Digital X-Ray Can Scan Body in 13 Seconds
I can understand "socio-economic issues" when you are discussing how
much money to put into cleaning up a contaminated site or whether to
replace an inefficient high-dose X-ray with a more costly newer one.
Those are cases where there is significant demand for limited financial
resources.
The article below refers to a diamond company X-raying its workers at
the end of their shifts. The company is trying to protect its economic
interest, but is this an ethical action? Perhaps ethics are
situational.
Would you have any objection to being X-rayed like this every time you
took an airline flight? I can see it coming. It will be for our own
good, of course.
Would it be OK to X-ray prisoners regularly or randomly to stem drug or
weapons program in a prison?
Does the answer change if either of the two above situations happens in
another country besides the US?
My own opinions/questions only.
--Susan Gawarecki
Sandy Perle wrote:
>
> On 16 Jun 2003 at 13:09, Susan L Gawarecki wrote:
>
> > Considering the current ALARA atmosphere, wouldn't there be an ethical
> > issue about X-raying workers every work day, even if it is only 25% of a
> > "conventional full-body X-ray series"?
>
> I don't think that one can assess the standards used with those here
> in the USA. When I attended an IAEA meeting in Geneva this past
> August, the socio-economic issues were balanced against the dose and
> risk issues, and, the European as well as Asian and African govt.
> representatives stated that the socio-economic issues had to take
> precedent over any dose issues.
>
> Dose, risk and other factors can not be assessed in a vacuum, and,
> our philosophy doesn't always work in a different work environment
> that has other factors as well.
> -------------------------------------------------
> 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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