Response on education/training required for RSO

[VERNIG.PETER@forum.va.gov]

{Original Msg: 'Re: Firing Rad Safety Office' from <root@romulus.ehs.uiuc.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
{Received: by rsomacserver.rso.upenn.edu with SMTP;19 Sep 1994 13:12:30 U
{Received: from romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu by vixen.cso.uiuc.edu with SMTP id AA15700
{  (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for <rob_forrest@rsomacserver.rso.upenn.edu>); Mon, 19 Sep
{1994 11:50:29 -0500
{Received: by romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu (NX5.67d/NeXT-2.0)
{	id AA11694; Mon, 19 Sep 94 11:50:10 -0500
{Date: Mon, 19 Sep 94 11:50:10 -0500
{Message-Id: <940919164736_71233.2460_DHQ95-1@CompuServe.COM>
{Errors-To: mandel@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
{Reply-To: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
{Originator: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
{Sender: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
{Precedence: bulk
{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
{
{
{
{
 
 
Original message was on firing/RIF of an RSO
 
If Arizona is an agreement state it has it's own regs.  But they must
be at least as restrictive as the NRC.  My experience is that state
regs are usually identical or close to it but of course the citations
and organizations are different.
 
NRC REgs would be Title 10 Code of Federal REgulations, Part 35
sections 35-900 & 901.  Essentially they say board certification
by American Board of Health Physics and several other boards or
at least 200 hours of classroom and lab training in appropriate
areas (they are spelled out) plus one years experience under a
qualified RSO.  There is a limited grandfather clause for personnel
identified on a license befor 
1986.
 
 
 
************************************************************************
VA Medical Center, 1055 Clermont St. MS 115
Denver, CO 80220; 303-399-8020 x2447 FAX 393-4656
FAX 303-393-4656, vernig.peter@forum.va.gov
************************************************************************