Fwd: Backscatter x-rays for airport security

[John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>]

More information



------------------

Date:    Fri, 1 Oct 2004 16:46:39 -0400

From:    Dan Kassiday

Subject: Re: whole body x-ray scanners



For those of you interested in the regulations and

recommendations related

to Personnel Security Systems the following sources

may prove helpful:



Last edited: September 28, 2004



Information about Personnel Security Systems that use

X-Rays



Mandatory Law and Regulations



Applicable Law:

The FEDERAL FOOD, DRUG, AND COSMETIC ACT (Portions

revised or new - As

Amended by the FDA Modernization Act of 1997) is the

law from which FDA's

regulations are derived.  The part of the law that

applies to Personnel

Security Systems that use x-rays is: CHAPTER V - DRUGS

AND DEVICES;

SUBCHAPTER C - ELECTRONIC PRODUCT RADIATION CONTROL



Subchapter C can be found at:

http://www.fda.gov/opacom/laws/fdcact/fdcact5c.htm

The complete law can be found at:

http://www.fda.gov/opacom/laws/fdcact/fdctoc.htm



Relevant FDA regulations

Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations 1000 - 1005.  At

this time no other

FDA regulations apply.  These can be found at:

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/comp/eprc.html



State Laws and Regulations:

State regulatory agencies have the authority to

regulate the use of x-ray

emitting products.  State laws and regulations vary

from state to state.

The use of x-ray emitting products owned by and

operated by the federal

government usually does not fall under state

jurisdiction.



Consensus Standards and Recommendations:



Radiation Safety Consensus Standard:

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) / Health

Physics Society (HPS)

Standard: N43.17-2002 Radiation Safety for Personnel

Security Screening

Systems Using X-rays.



Available from HPS at:

http://hps.org/hpspublications/standards.html



Risk Evaluation:

A report on risk from these products was written by

the National Council

for Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) is

titled:



SC 01-12 Presidential Report on Radiation Protection

Advice: Screening of

Humans for Security Purposes Using Ionizing Radiation

Scanning Systems

(Available for purchase - Commentary 16)



And is available from:

http://www.ncrp.com/prezrpts.html



An additional report that is helpful:



Report 116 Limitation of Exposure to Ionizing

Radiation (1993) (Supersedes

NCRP Report No. 91) ISBN 0-929600-30-4



Available from: http://www.ncrp.com/ncrprpts.html





__________________________________________



On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 23:33:31 -0500, morris bank wrote:



>The whole body x-ray scanners proposed for use in

security screening at

>airports will be the topic of a Point/Counterpoint

debate in an upcoming

>issue of Medical Physics. Some of the questions asked

on the listserver are

>addressed in the discussion including which

passengers will be scanned,

>scanning conditions, and doses to passengers and

operators. Also many of

>the objections and hazards. The WB doses are very low

with an effective

>dose of 0.1 uSv or 0.01 mR. The scans can reveal

articles or weapons hidden

>under clothing. Note there are two classes of

scanners, General Purpose,

>and Limited Use. The General Purpose scanners with

the low doses are

>proposed for screening use.

>

>Morris Bank

>Indianapolis, IN

>





=====

+++++++++++++++++++

"A devotee of Truth may not do anything in deference to convention.  He must always hold himself open to correction, and whenever he discovers himself to be wrong he must confess it at all costs and atone for it."

Monhandas K. Gandhi, in "Autobiography"



-- John

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist

e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com





		

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