Re: MIT and NIH Incidents produce NRC Information Notice

[lambert@HAL.HAHNEMANN.EDU]

I agree.  Cars have locks and alarms but still they are stolen.  In fact 
the recent increase in carjackings is attributed to the improvement in 
other protective measures.  Although hopefully not applicable here, the 
lesson is that preventive measures sometimes reduce the number of 
occurrences but increase the severity of the ones which occur.  

In reality, all one can do is reduce the probability of an occurrence.  
Before I had any grey hair, I worked as a consultant safety engineer.  
The reports always said "reduce the likelyhood" or "reduce the accident 
potential", etc.  We never stated "prevent an accident."  

Nonetheless, we are planning to increase awareness through a discussion 
of these incidents during annual the refresher training (which is 
coincidentally being conducted this month), increase specific audits 
for foodstuff and security, and review inventory control procedures and 
reporting.  

On Wed, 1 Nov 1995 alanjack@umich.edu wrote:

> I am skeptical that any licensee can " ensure that they have a 
> radiation safety program in place that will prevent deliberate 
> misuse of radioactive materials in all licensee areas."
> 
> I believe that this is an impossible standard.
> 


Kent Lambert
LAMBERT@hal.hahnemann.edu

These are my opinions and no one else claims them.