Re: On the Soapbox

[Dan Zurosky <D020272@UNIVSCVM.CSD.SCAROLINA.EDU>]

Leo,

I think that some of you may be missing the point on these tritium exit signs.
Personally, I am not concerned about the potential radiation risk from a broken
gas tube. The exit sign manufacturers admit that approximately 5% of the total
H-3 gas forms oxides with the phosphers found in the tube. Damage to an exit
sign may result in a significant amount of removable contamination in the area
of the sign. The director of our State regulatory agency told me that if a sign
is broken and normal action levels are exceeded, we would be required to
decontaminate the affected area. If the breakage occurs in a carpeted
auditorium, this could be a very expensive job.  Moreover, if breakage occurs
in a high traffic, public area, you've got PR problems out of the wazoo!
The radiation risk is most likely insignificant. The clean-up measures one
must take to satisfy the regulators is the problem.