RE: Dirty Bomb Rescue Worker

[Catherine Perham <cperham@EHSO.EMORY.EDU>]

The "recommended" exposure limit is up to 25 Rem per event for lifesaving.

Taking a dose above this limit is up to the discretion of the rescue worker.

Does "per event" mean per dirty bomb or nuclear weapon event?  Per victim?

Per year?  Per lifetime?  As far as I know it is open to interpretation.

Perhaps someone has the answer.



Yes, I know this has been on the list before.

Cheers,

-Catherine



Catherine S. Perham

Senior Health Physicist

Emory University School of Medicine

1462 Clifton Road NE, Suite 312

Atlanta, Georgia  30322

404-727-1348

404-727-5904 [fax]

404-742-7901 [pager] 



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

From: rob.w.powell@exxonmobil.com [mailto:rob.w.powell@exxonmobil.com]

Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 9:29 AM

To: radsafe@list.Vanderbilt.Edu

Subject: Dirty Bomb Rescue Worker





During the last 2 years of discussions about dirty bomb response, did

anyone see/develop a maximum exposure limit for a rescue worker?  For

instance, a bomber explodes the bomb but the gamma source just becomes

unshielded, it doesn't disperse to any extent.  An injured, immobile,

bleeding employee is in the 'hot zone' near the source, and a rescue worker

arrives with a Geiger counter.  As he/she approaches the employee while

reading the Geiger counter, at what reading (exposure rate) should the

rescue worker stop after determining that his/her risk of death during the

rescue is as great as that of the bleeding employee's death?  We've been

assuming that the rescue worker takes 15 minutes to remove the employee

from the hot zone (< 2 mR/hr).  This all may seem too dispassionate, but we

have guidance about rescuing employees who have been electrically shocked,

been overcome with gases, etc.







-Rob Powell

ExxonMobil

Safety, Health, & Environment





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