emergency phone number "poll"

[Sharron A Daly <sdaly@csd4.csd.uwm.edu>]

In response to Jim Herrold's informal poll regarding the emergency phone 
number used on transportation manifests, we struggled with this as well 
about a year ago.  After reviewing the HM181 requirements and then 
receiving the NRC's info notice 92-62 "Emergency Response Information 
Requirements for Rad Mat'l Shipments" that stated that the number must be 
monitored at all times while the mat'l is in transit (from HM181) and 
that people calling the number should be able to receive all necessary 
information within 15 minutes!!!  At that time, when we shipped a 
radioactive package we listed the radiation safety office phone number, 
which after hours referred emergencies to our campus police.  The campus 
police then had my home phone number and would try to reach me there.  If 
I was unavailable, they moved down the list to the next EH&S person.  
Looking at that system realistically, we decided that the odds were 
pretty low of getting information out in 15 minutes or less.

After beating up the idea of requiring someone from the department to be 
"on call", we decided on a system that seems to work well without a great 
deal in inconvenience to our dept personnel.  We purchased a cellular 
"bag" phone to lessen the inconvenience.  We list the radiation safety 
phone number as the "emerg #" on manifests when we ship a radioactive 
package, or when we have researchers in the field who are transporting 
rad mat'ls.  When I leave the office at night, I transfer the radiation 
safety phone to the "bag" phone and just carry the bag phone home with 
me.  I've taken it to the grocery store, my aerobics class, etc.  If I am 
going to be out of town or at some location that the bag phone wouldn't 
be appropriate (concerts, Brewer games, etc) someone else from the 
department takes the "bag".  When the first person comes into the office 
in the morning the radiation safety phone is "untransferred".  

This system works for us because we aren't very big and only ship about 
6-8 packages a year.  Additionally, we have researchers in the field only 
4-6 times a year.  So far, so good --- since it has never been tested we 
assume that it will work.  

On the non-rad side, all hazardous materials that our dept (EH&S) ships 
list the haz waste company (currently Chem Waste Management) as the 
emergency responder.

Sharron Stenjem Daly
Radiation Safety Officer
University of WI-Milwaukee
Env. Health, Safety and Risk Management
P.O. Box 413
Milwaukee, WI  53201
(414)229-4275/6339
sdaly@csd4.csd.uwm.edu