Re: H-3 Exit Signs

[Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 10:30 1996-03-27 -0600, you wrote:
>Has anyone out there had the joy of dealing with a significantly damaged
>(i.e., internal tubes smashed open by an overzealous hard-hat type) H-3 exit
>sign in a heavily trafficked area, such as a university library?
>
>We're trying to convince our Facilities Department that these signs could be
>more trouble than they are worth.
>
>Thanks...
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>  Jeffrey S. Mueller, M.S., CHP                  E-mail = jmueller@ucla.edu
>  UCLA Radiation Safety Office                Telephone = 310/206-8204
>  1010 Veteran Avenue, 2195 WMB                     FAX = 310/206-9051
>  Box 951765                                      Pager = 800/233-7231 #93565
>  Los Angeles, CA 90095-1765
><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>
I wonder, whether EXIT-signs with gaseous tritium sources are the only
possible device to be used. As far as I know - I am not an expert - there
exist EXIT signs, which contain tritium in the form of tritiated polystyrene
(or some similar material) and phosphors, which are encased in plastic. I
suppose that for instance the EXIT signs in airplanes are of this type. A
collegue of mine, Dieter Rank from the BFPA Arsenal in Vienna who checked
such signs has told me that surprisingly practically no tritium diffuses out
from these signs. If you use these signs, probably your hard-hat type has no
chance of liberating tritium.....

By the way we have checked at my institute the liberation of tritium from
luminous dials of watches and its fast transport into the body through
plastic casings. If you are interested in this paper, send an e-mail. A
similar paper will be in the April issue of Health Physics on investigations
conducted by my friend Peter Brunner from the Innsbruck University.

Franz Schoenhofer
Federal Institute for Food Control and Research
Kinderspitalg. 15
A-1095 Vienna
AUSTRIA

phone: -43-1-40491-520
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e-mail: schoenho@via.at
Christian Schönhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 WIEN
Tel.:		+43-664-3380333
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e-mail:		schoenho@via.at