Pregnant Radiation Workers

["rad tech" <Rad=Tech%SS%DFCI@EYE.DFCI.HARVARD.EDU>]

Hello RADSAFErs:

My name is Steve Alford, and I am the RSO at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 
Boston.  I am a new RADSAFer myself, and already I can tell you I have obtained 
lots of useful information.  That's why I want to put my hat into the ring and 
ask for some help:

In light of the two recent internal contaminations of 32P at NIH and MIT, here 
at DFCI we are currently re-visiting our policy for protecting the pregnant 
workers who handle radioactive material, and we would like to know what other 
similar biomedical research facilities do.  

Our Adminstration has asked us to answer the difficult question "Are we doing 
*enough* to protect the pregnant workers?"  So we are looking for some specific 
information and the policies of other Universities, Hospitals, and Biomedical 
Research Facilities regarding pregnant women working with radioactive materials 
and how the facilities choose to comply compliance with 10CFR20.1208.  Any 
additional protective measures you take to protect pregnant women should be 
especially helpful.  (For example, here at DFCI we do not recommend that our 
declared pregnant workers perform 125I or 131I radioiodinations.) 

If this is a topic that RADSAFE has already recently discussed, those 
interested in helping me may contact me directly at my email address 
steven_alford@dfci.harvard.edu, or call me directly at (617)632-3005. 

Thank you so much for your consideration.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
*  Steven J. Alford, M.S.       |  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute *
*  Radiation Safety Officer     |  44 Binney St.                *
*                               |  Boston, MA, 02115            *    
*  email:                       |                               *
*                               |  phone: (617) 632-3005        *
*   rad_tech@dfci.harvard.edu   |  FAX:   (617) 632-3543        *
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-This message is hereby disclaimed-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*