Re: Badge for X-ray machine users?

["Russ Meyer" <CMEYER@brc1.tdh.texas.gov>]

> Date:          Fri, 17 Mar 95 11:58:15 -0600
> Reply-to:      radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> From:          tdc@ehssun.lbl.gov (Ted M. de Castro)
> To:            Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject:       Re: Badge for X-ray machine users?

> In my opinion - from working with analytical x-ray equipment I beleive the
> film badge to be a better dosimeter than film for 2 reasons.
>
> The first reason as mentioned is the increased sensitivity due to over
> response.
>
> The second is the imaging nature of film.  Often around analytical x-ray
> machines exposure to the dosimeter could be from a very colimated source and
> thus may not sufficiently irradiate and entire TLD chip but would CERTAINLY
> produce "exciting" indications on film.
>
> Since routine exposures around analytical x-ray equipment are essentially 0
> and since in an accident senario the body badge seldom look at the area of
> highest exposure - I give little weight to the flat energy response
> characteristic of TLD.  Having a "calibrated DOSE number" is merely an
> administrative detail.  If it is NOT zero - it IS a problem and I want to
> look at the expsoure with as much sensitivity and detail as I possibly can!
>
> The IDEAL dosimeter in my opinion would be a combination:  A TLD for the
> bureacrats and bean counters - and a FILM - the bigger the better - for the
> health physicists or those concerned about monitoring the exposures.
>
> This message was typed live and on-the-fly for informal communication.  It
> is NOT intended as a scholarly treatise on the subject - thus NOT formally
> composed and subject to a spell checker - so PLEASE DO NOT [SIC] out my
> typos/spelling errors!!!  (one of my HOT buttons!!)
>

How about the TLC, not tender loving care, but thermolumiscent
clothing.  Now you've got a less energy dependent dosimeter with the
larger area.  Just throw the clothes in the reader and get a whole
body dose, it'll be okay to average.  Regulators can require them
for all occupationally exposed people, and the EPA can assign them
to all those average members of the maximally exposed groups.

Tada!>




Russ
cmeyer@brc1.tdh.texas.gov
(512)834-6688