Re: Radiation safety staff in canadian universitues

[John Harvey <harveyj@mcmail.CIS.McMaster.CA>]

At McMaster University, we have a Health Physics staff of 4 consisting of 
two professionals and two technicians. We also have 5/7th of a secretary. 
We provide services to about 950 workers. Our numbers may appear a bit 
inflated since in addition to the users of radioactive material and 
analytical X-ray units, we have a 5 MW swimming pool type nuclear 
reactor, a 7 MV FN tandem accelerator, an RDS cyclotron for producing 
positron emitters for the PET unit, and a 3 MV KN accelerator. We also 
have a Regional Radiopharmacy.
Incidentally, our FN Tandem accelerator, reputed to be among the best in 
the world, is about to be decommissioned for lack of funding. We are open 
to offers and no reasonable offer will be refused. All ancillary 
equipment would be included (pumping systems, electronics, etc). There is 
little in the way of activation of components. We have run a triton beam, 
but this was from a sputter source. The tritium was absorded into 
titanium cones and then bombarded with cesium atoms. We estimate that 
only the order of tens of curies of tritium was actually sent down the 
beam lines. The laboratory has been free from tritium contamination, 
there were no intakes of any significance even removing the cones, and so 
contamination should be an insignificant problem. First come, first 
served. The machine will be gone within a year.


=======================================================================
John Harvey                            | McMaster University
Senior Health Physicist                | NRB-110
(905) 525-9140 ext 24226               | 1280 Main St. W.
harveyj@mcmail.cis.mcmaster.ca         | Hamilton, Ont Canada L8S 4K1

On Fri, 17 Nov 1995, Colette Tremblay wrote:

> Hello,
> I need information about the number of persons working in the radiation
> safety departments of canadian universities vs the number of users/user
> permits, types and amounts of isotopes used, etc. Please respnd via email.
> Thank you in advance!
> 
> Colette Tremblay
> Recherches en sciences de la vie et de la sant=E9
> Pavillon Charles-Eug=E8ne-Marchand
> Universit=E9 Laval Qu=E9bec QC
> Canada  G1K 7P4
> T=E9l: (418)656-2893
> =46ax: (418) 656-7176
> Internet: coltremb@rsvs.ulaval.ca
> 
> 
>