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Re: RADSAFE digest 23



	Does anyone have any information which would suggest that is preferable
	to wear ring badges with the sensitive portion turned in any particular
	direction.

	We had an NRC inspector give a violation because nuclear medicine
	technologists were wearing the badges with the film toward the back
	(posterior) of the hand.

	I am looking for quantitative information not opinion.

	Thanks.

	David Adcock
	University of South Carolina

David, I'm afraid all you're going to get are opinions.  You're asking for  
information that would "suggest" a preference.  Obviously, it would be advisable to  
wear the finger ring turned inwards if you were interested in obtaining a  
conservative reading of the dose to the palm of the hand from handling of a source.   
However, if you're interested in monitoring dose to the hand from and x-ray  
machine, it might be more interesting to have the ring facing out.  (see NCRP #59,
_Operational Radiation Safety Program_, Chapter 5).  NRCP recommends that  
monitoring devices _should_ be worn on the part of the body likely to receive the  
greatest proportion of its maximum permissible dose equivalent.  I suppose this  
suggestion can be stretched to imply that a finger monitor should be turned toward  
the inside of the hand, but it seems to me that your inspector was somewhat  
capricious to issue a full blown citation in your case.