Contamination Incidents

[rkathren@beta.tricity.wsu.edu (ronald kathren)]

Paul Charp's story evoked some very pleasant memories of when I was young HP
(there was twice as much Ra-226 then!) and pulled a similar stunt to educate
one of my health physics technicians.  This experienced head had come in to
the lab to count some wipes -- about two dozen as I recall -- taken off
items that he had already approved for unrestricted release since he was
certain they were not contaminated.  And so the counting began using an old
Navy scaler, vacuum tube type, that weighed more than I did.  Those old Navy
decade scalers were durable and overdesigned, and had a low and high level
calibration position.  the high level was a million counts per minute, and
while one ogf the clean wipes was counting, I switched to that position from
'count'.

Never will I forget the ashen look on the technician's face when he saw the
decades on the scaler virtually jammed when counting what he had (correctly,
I might add) assumed to be a clean wipe.  Even more satisfying was his
rather sheepish description of what he now thought was the case:  trying to
be a nice guy, he had released some equipment before counting the wipes, and
now there was this one wipe that was driving the scaler crazy.  As I recall,
I let him stew for a few minutes before letting him in on the secret along
with a stern lecture on the importance of counting the wipes BEFORE
releasing the equipment.  To my knowledge and his credit, he never again
(nor did any of his fellow techs) released anything  without a confirmed
wipe test.

Sorry if this was a repeat of Paul's tale, so bear with me for another.
Again, as a young health physicist at what is now LLNL, I responded to an
emergency call for an HP to come to an area that had suffered a radioactive
spill.  Another young colleague (now a prominent HP who will remain
nameless), rose to the occasion.  We commandeered a lab taxi (they used
minivans even in those days), much to the surpise and pleasure of the driver
and occupants, and proceeded forthwith to the area in which the spill had
occurred.  Donning our respirators (half masks were used in those days) and
with survey meters in hand and at the ready we entered the area, every inch
(in my case not too many) the proud and efficient health physicist bent on
saving people and the environment.  Of course at that time we found out it
was all a drill.  And it's just as well that it was, for I found out to my
dismay that I had put my half mask on UPSIDE DOWN!  Well, that's what drills
and training are for!