Re[2]: MIT and NIH Incidents produce NRC Information Notice

["Lorraine Day" <day@camd.lsu.edu>]

    Although it is impossible to make preventative measures 100% secure, in the 
case of this incident, there may be cause to suspect that someone lost control 
of the material at some time.  If such were proven, then this would be grounds 
for revoking the license. There did not appear to be any  indication of forced 
entry etc., and it has been said that access was possible.  The other unpleasant 
probability is that the culprit actually had legitimate access to P32.  In this 
case, the license should not be in jeopardy, since it can not be expected to 
protect against internal sabotage.

Lorraine Day, PhD
day@mail.camd.lsu.edu

_______________________________________________________________________________

Subject: Re: MIT and NIH Incidents produce NRC Information Notice

From:    radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at Internet

Date:    11/1/95  10:29



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.