Re: Firing Rad Safety Office

["ROB FORREST" <ROB_FORREST.RSO#u#MAILROOM@rsomacserver.rso.upenn.edu>]

                      RE>Firing Rad Safety Officers...             9/19/94
I can only respond to the first question.  10 CFR 35.900 lists
experience/training that a person must have to fulfill the responsibilities of
the RSO.  I don't know what Arizona's status is (ie., agreement state), but I
would imagine they would have to meet the same requirements.

--------------------------------------
Date: 9/19/94 1:12 PM
To: ROB FORREST
From: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
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From: Alden Bice <71233.2460@compuserve.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Subject: Firing Rad Safety Officers...
X-Listserver-Version: 6.0 -- UNIX ListServer by Anastasios Kotsikonas
X-Comment:  Radiation Safety Distribution List 

I just recently stumbled on the existence of this bulletin board and also the
duties of a Radiation Safety Officer - so I apologize for the ignorant message.
But perhaps you folks can provide me with some facts after reading the
following
personal story.

I'm a nuclear physicist who works at the Barrow Neurological Institute/St.
Joseph's Hospital In Phoenix, AZ, USA as a nuclear medicine researcher (in PET
and SPECT.) This prestigious private-not-for-profit hospital recently decided
to
RIF (reduction-in-force, i.e., FIRE) their Radiation Safety Officer. Although I
interacted infrequently with this PhD I thought he was competent and I could
find no evidence of legal action against the hospital to prompt his firing. In
fact, as the situation unfolded, it became apparent to me that his firing was
the act of stupid high level administrators trying to rapidly cut hospital
costs
(and save their jobs...) Not a bright move as we have the broadest license in
the state.

In May the RSO was given 60 day notice. He had a much lower paid assistant who
the hospital was proposing to be his replacement. Unfortunately she was 8
months
pregnant and scheduled for extended maternity leave AND the hospital didn't
realize it takes months for the State of Arizona to approve new RSOs (and on
top
of that, this woman didn't even have a B.S. degree or any physics background
AND
our hospital was scheduled for a State ARRA inspection in late May!) When it
dawned on the VP head of Risk Management that he would NOT have a RSO for the
summer, or longer, he approached me to serve as Alternate. During my few weeks
of hell (and quiting in disgust) I came to wonder about a few things.

1) Is it commonplace for States (Countries?) to approve individuals with little
or no science training as RSOs at large hospitals/universities? Arizona has no
written degree or training requirements!

2) How often do RSOs face lawsuits, either do to their own negligence, or do to
unsafe actions of other individuals in the hospital? And when hospitals have
lost lawsuits for misadministration - has the RSO been held partially liable?

3) What level of fines are possible for unsafe practices with Radiation?

I basically have a running arguement with the Administration that they need to
take this REQUIRED position more SERIOUSLY. Perhaps I'm overreacting, in part
to
the fact that they RIFfed a PhD without any concern to the consequences. Any
comments?

Thanks.

Alden N. Bice, Ph.D.
Dept. of Radiology
BNI/St. Joes
350 W. Thomas Road
Phoenix, AZ 85012