Thyroid Intercomparison

[Gary Kramer <GKRAMER@hpb.hwc.ca>]

I enclose a file that was sent to Canadian facilities;
however, a number of US facilities also take advantage
of this program.

Ignore specific references from the Canadian
perspective and consider participation.

     THE CANADIAN NATIONAL THYROID 
   BIOASSAY INTERCOMPARISON PROGRAM

Do you monitor your workers for
125I and/or 131I?  If you do, you will
find the following information
interesting and beneficial to your
organization.

In Canada, the Atomic Energy Control
Board (AECB) and the Department of
National Health and Welfare share
responsibility  for protection of workers
and the public from ionizing radiation. 
The AECB controls radiation exposures
through its licensing process. 
Licensees are required to determine the
radiation dose received by workers and
to ensure that the doses are below the
regulatory limits.

The Department of National Health
and Welfare has a general mandate to
protect and preserve the health of
Canadians.  The Bureau of Radiation
and Medical Devices (BRMD) conducts
a national external dosimetry program,
a national environmental monitoring
program, and a bioassay and In-Vivo
measurement program.  The bioassay
and In-Vivo measurement
programs are intended to help
facilities such as yours.

In 1983, the  AECB established
calibration programs for all types of
occupational dosimetry.  The AECB
requested BRMD to  administer the
program for internal dosimetry in
recognition of its existing informal
calibration program.  In 1984 BRMD
established the National Reference
Centres for Bioassay and  In-Vivo
monitoring.  

The Reference Centre for In-Vivo
monitoring provides calibration sources
to Canadian facilities either to confirm
in-house calibrations or to provide
sufficient information so that a facility
can confidently calibrate its system. 
Currently this service is free of charge.

If your facility participates in the
BRMD thyroid intercomparison
program, it will benefit in two ways. 
First, you can compare your
performance to that of  other Canadian
facilities.  Second, and more important,
participation in the BRMD's
intercomparison program allows you to
demonstrate that in-house calibrations
are accurate and that your quality
assurance program is performing as
expected.  The use of an outside
independent standard gives you,
the quality assurance program
manager,  additional confidence
that your program is performing as
expected.

For further information please contact
me at:

CONTACT:  Dr. Gary H. Kramer
Human Monitoring Laboratory
Environmental Radiation Hazards
Division, Bureau of Radiation and
Medical Devices, 775 Brookfield
Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1C1
Phone:     613 954 6667
Fax:       613 957 1089

All results are confidential.