Re: Dirty Bomb Rescue Worker

[John Andrews <andrewsjp@chartertn.net>]

rob.w.powell@exxonmobil.com wrote:



>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

>  

>

Rob, here is my common sense approach:



1.  Don't use a GM unless it won't saturate and is designed for higher 

exposure rates.  Use an ion chamber type instrument.  As an emergency 

worker, I would wish I had a Rad-Tad (Eberline) or similar device to 

give me information on the shape of the field audibly.



2.  Fifteen minutes is too long.  This is an emergency and both the 

victim and the rescuerer could die.  Not good!  Never kill the rescuerer 

trying to save the victim.  Either drag the victim away from the source 

quickly as you would drag an injured person off the highway in the face 

of oncoming traffic, or use a long (even short) stick to move the source 

away as far a possible.  I would kick it away because that would move it 

faster and farther.



3.  Less than 2 mR/hr is a pretty low dose rate and not necessary to 

save the victim additional exposure.  Consider that the victim will be 

moved within less than one hour, then moving him or her to less than 5 

R/hr would be just as good and may save substantial trauma for a 

physically injured person.



4.  75 R will make you feel bad for a few days, but should not kill 

anyone in normal good health and with prompt medical attention.  Given 

that, 25 R makes sense because it gives a 3X upperbound that will not be 

fatal.



5.  Finally, most laymen can understand kicking the source out of the 

way and dragging the victim to a more sheltered location.  Do that, then 

worry about the dose.



Best seasonal wishes to all.



John Andrews

Knoxville, Tennessee





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