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RE: Radon, smoking and LNT



Title: RE: Radon, smoking and LNT

In response to the debate on ALARA concepts and practicality vs. results and expense. I would like to recommend a good book:

"Managing the Unexpected" by Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe
Subtitle: Assuring High Performance in an Age of Complexity
University of Michigan Business School Press.

This book profiles research into the performance and characteristics of what are known as "high reliability organizations". The authors spent considerable time looking at nuclear power plants and nuclear aircraft carriers, finding that they were consistently highly reliable. The authors proceed to cover the characteristics of these organizations (and a few others) and offer very good analysis as to how any organization could adopt these characteristics and presumably achieve similarly high levels of reliability.

Interestingly, one finds that high reliable organizations, in different industries, adopt (in some fashion) a concept very similar to ALARA, and they back it up with actions. Consistently. I found the book fascinating, useful, and have incorporated it into several training programs at the university.

Obviously many of us work in different industries so, perhaps the question of relevance might be of concern. However, the authors did a very good job of addressing the relevance question early in the book. Written and backed by supporting research from "organization" and "behavioral" psychology, the book gave me a very interesting perspective on my "radiation safety" field that I do not usually get from publications offered within the field of radiation safety. Maybe it would make a good addition to your summer reading list.

Michael Gray
Cal State Los Angeles
323.343.6358
-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Cohen [mailto:jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET]
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 12:37 PM
To: William V Lipton
Cc: tedrock@CPCUG.ORG; Johansen, Kjell; Radsafe (E-mail)
Subject: Re: Radon, smoking and LNT


That's interesting because I have found that, most of the time ALARA is an abomination where large expenditures are made to achieve what, at best, is trivial improvement in health and safety. The primary objective of ALARA programs is to minimize man-rem and keep the regulators off your back. Good management practice is rewarded by improved operational efficiency and profitability. Also, it would seem there are far less expensive ways of improving employee morale than ALARA.

----- Original Message -----
From: William V Lipton <liptonw@dteenergy.com>
To: Jerry Cohen <jjcohen@prodigy.net>
Cc: <tedrock@CPCUG.ORG>; Johansen, Kjell <Kjell.Johansen@nmcco.com>; Radsafe
(E-mail) <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 4:54 AM
Subject: Re: Radon, smoking and LNT


> I have found that, most of the time, ALARA IS "Good Industrial
> Management
and
> Operations".  Even at the design stage, most ALARA good practices
> don't
cost
> much extra, e.g., making sure that valves are not installed upside
> down
(They
> become crud traps when this occurs.), routing piping that will carry
> hi
dose
> fluids to avoid occupied areas, etc.
>
> Another side benefit of a good ALARA program is employee morale.
Employees care
> about their dose levels and appreciate when management actively
> promotes
good
> ALARA practices.  I'd hate to have to say, "We don't care whether you
> get
5
> rems, Cohen et. al showed there's nothing to worry about."  It would
> be
even
> worse if we let people get body burdens or go home to their families
> contaminated.
>
> Radworkers want a workplace which minimizes dose and prevents personal
> contamination and uptake.
>
> The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
> It's not about dose, it's about trust.
> Curies forever.
>
> Bill Lipton
> liptonw@dteenergy.com
>
>
> Jerry Cohen wrote:
>
> > >
> > > Permit me a bit of a tangential excursion:  My experience is that,
> > > in
many
> > > cases, ALARA does not cost extra $$; that's just an assumption.  A
> > > big

> > part of a
> > > good ALARA program is training, pre-job briefs, dry runs, and
> > > enhanced
job
> > > planning.  These generally more than pay for themselves through
improved
> > > efficiency and quality.
> >
> > Bill,
> >     What you have described here is  "Good Industrial Management and
> > Operations". It has nothing to do with ALARA!
>


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