Re: NIH

[peterson@ridgefield.sdr.slb.com (Carl Peterson)]

>X-UIDL: 813442525.002
>Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 15:02:20 -0500
>Errors-To: melissa@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: a.j.teachout@mail.utexas.edu (A.J. Teachout)
>To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
>Subject: Re: NIH
>X-Listserver-Version: 6.0 -- UNIX ListServer by Anastasios Kotsikonas
>X-Comment:  Radiation Safety Distribution List
>
>>In response to the previous public question: Yes, this event clearly happened.
>>It is not an alleged event.
>>A pregnant woman researcher was contaminated via food.
>>Other were contaminated via water bottle dispensing stations.
>>Contamination was found at various locations.
>>
>>Perhaps an NIH reader can give more info than has appeared in the W.Post.
>>
>>SLABACK@MICF.NIST.GOV
>>   ...a little risk, like a bit of spice, adds flavor to life
>
>
>I'm not an NIH reader, but I did read about this matter in the July 24,
>1995 issue of Chemical and Engineering News.  The article was titled
>"Apparent sabotage exposes 26 NIH employees to radioactivity."  In that
>article, an NIH spokesman said  "We have no proof that this [deliberate
>spiking of a watercooler] has been done on purpose, but circumstances
>indicate it was not accidental."  The dastardly deed was discovered when
>an NIH researcher "conducting a routine safety check of the lab with a GM
>counter discovered that his wife, also an NIH researcher, was
>radioactive."  The article provides more details than I have time to go
>into here.  However, you can obtain a copy of it for yourselves should you
>feel impelled to do so.
>
>I would have thought this old news by now, since I read about it in July.
>Television viewing is not on my top ten list of favourite things to do,
>hence I was unaware that CNN was broadcasting it as a current news item (I
>almost said "hot" news item - a poor, politically incorrect pun).  But
>then again, I especially make it a point to avoid watching practically
>anything broadcast by those Luddites at TBS.
>
>A.J. Teachout
>Reactor Health Physicist
>The University of Texas at Austin
>A.J.Teachout@mail.utexas.edu
>
>
>**Standard disclaimers**


It looks like procedures were in place, AND they worked!  This was really a
loose cannon, and not sloppy safety.  But the general public doesn't know
or appreciate that.  Judging from the post article I saw listed here, the
knee jerk reaction will be that the NRC is covering up, which is not the
case.

****All the Standard disclaimers****


=======================================================================

The standard disclaimers apply to the above!

Carl A. Peterson                          Schlumberger-Doll Research
  e-mail:Peterson@ridgefield.sdr.slb.com    Old Quarry Road
  Phone: (203)431-5272                      Ridgefield, CT  06877-4108
  Fax:   (203)438-3819
=======================================================================