[ RadSafe ] Another industrial radiography accident - comments

[Walter Cofer]

I too, was saddened to read about the recent radiography incident in
Malaysia (see full article below).  As Floyd noted, it was likely
preventable, and no one deserves ARS as a consequence of trying to make a
living .

I have a couple of related comments.  While true that an alarm ratemeter
could have alerted the crew to the situation, my experience is that the
radiographer's best friend is his survey meter, not an alarm ratemeter, and
that proper use of a SM would also have prevented the accident.

The problem with alarm ratemeters is that when workers wear them, they may
stop using their survey meter and start relying on the alarm ratemeter to
alert them to a problem.  Then Murphy's Law takes effect, and when something
goes wrong, the ratemeter's battery is dead, they forgot to turn it on, etc.
On the other hand, if they are constantly monitoring their operations with a
survey meter, they know the meter is functioning and they know when the
source is shielded or exposed.   Based on incident analysis and interviews
of radiographic personnel, I and many other long ago concluded that
ratemeters can decrease rather than enhance the safety of radiographic
operations.  Unfortunately, the NRC disregarded the opinions of the
industry, equipment manufacturers, consultants and state regulators and
decided to make alarm ratemeters mandatory equipment, and forced the states
to make them mandatory as well.

Also, please note that once again, the article refers to "x-raying" and
"x-ray device" when if fact it was in all likelihood a gamma-emitting sealed
source - probably Ir-192.  "X-raying" is widely used to describe all forms
of industrial radiography regardless of what the radiation source is.

- Walt Cofer
  Radiation Control, Inc.
  Tallahassee, FL
  radcontrol at earthlink.net
  


Two treated for radiation exposure

By Annie Freeda Cruez
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/NST32317824.txt/Artic
le/pp_index_html
New Straits Times, Malaysia

Two men are being treated for radiation poisoning at the Kuala Lumpur
Hospital (KLH) after being exposed to radiation at a shipyard in Kuching on
Tuesday.  The first-ever acute radiation sickness (ARS) patients in the
country are in stable condition, with one being treated for blisters, nausea
and diarrhea.

The 20-year-old industrial radiographer is the more seriously affected of
the two, but he and his 34-year-old assistant are both suffering a low white
blood-cell count.

It is learnt that KLH radiation expert Datuk Dr Jeyaindran Sinnadurai, who
is also a consultant pulmonary and critical care physician, is attending to
them.

The hospital has sought the assistance of Malaysian Institute for Nuclear
Technology Research (MINT) officials to ascertain the seriousness of the
radiation leak.

Sources said the accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when the
men were checking for cracked pipes using an X-ray device.

Apparently, the device broke inside the pipe and started leaking radiation.
"The men did not realize the leakage and continued working.  They only
realized the problem about five hours later when they wanted to X-ray
another pipe," a source said.

By then, both had begun showing early symptoms of ARS.
They immediately alerted their superiors who flew them to KLH after deciding
against the Kuching Hospital, which does not have a radiation expert.

It is understood that they are being given symptomatic supportive treatment
while doctors identify long-term treatment.

Meanwhile, MINT officials are also trying to determine their total exposure
to radiation, which will help in the treatment.
________________________________________
C Copyright 2004 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights
reserved.