Dose vs Regs cont'd

[MarkH@MAIL.KIDS.USYD.EDU.AU]

The analogy drawn by Don Jordan, to the safe speed limit, really hits the
nail on the head.

An important point, though, is that many people have quite a good
perception of the magnitude of increase in risk at speeds above zero. This
is not the case for radiation risks.

I believe that a decision to increase personal occupational risk of exposure
to radiation (and, possibly medical as well) needs to be made on an
individual basis, with the individual haveing the knowledge and capacity to
make an informed decision. Because this is impractical, legislators must
adopt an arbitrary "safe limit" to protect an occupational user who cannot
make an informed decision.

Logically, the level at which this "safe limit" is set must be consistent with
the technological data available at the time, and obviously must be above
zero. It is also sensible, I think, to add a small margin for safety .

Where epidemiology cannot yet provide the answers, as in the case low
level radiation, the safety margin becomes the limit.


Mark Hanlon
Radiation Safety Officer,
The New Children's Hospital,
P.O. Box 3515,
PARRAMATTA, NSW, 2124
Australia

markh@mail.kids.usyd.edu.au