Occ. & Public Dose

[10525kfb@ibm.cl.msu.edu (Kristin Erickson)]

Hello, Radsafers!

Just a few comments on this topic.  We hashed over the question of who is
what long ago here at MSU, where we have visiting scientists, students,
volunteers, employees, ancillary personnel, and rad. users frequenting our
campus authorized rad. labs.  Because of the general requirement to prevent
exposures to any and all (many are general public), we chose to call the
occupational category individuals "WORKERS", which means they do some kind
of work, be it professional, volunteer, study or whatever, regardless of
remuneration.

 As for the rest, whether they are ancillary personnel who do not have job
descriptions involving use of radioactive materials, the grad. students who
handle no rads, or the salesman visiting the lab, we are calling them
general public and protecting them accordingly.

We are very grateful for the change in the law which eliminated the
training and required documentation for those members of the public who
"frequent" the rad. use areas, dropping them into that limbo land of not a
rad worker but not really general public under the previous legal wording.

At large public teaching and research institutions like ours, we will never
want or be able to segregate the rad workers and/or rad. labs from
everything else.  It would defeat academic freedom, not to speak of the
tremendous costs and logistical problems.  This new law is prudent, based
on decent science and has common sense, something which is too much a
rarity in safety regulations.

Have a fine weekend, all of you!  We are finally having wonderful weather
here in Michigan, after snow and frost in the past two weeks!!

Best regards,

Kristin

All comments herein contained are my own opinions and/or experiences and
are not necessarily those of my employer or institution.

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Kristin Erickson, Radiation Safety Officer       Email: 10525kfb@msu.edu
Office of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Safety
C124 Research Complex-Eng.
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824
Telephone: (517) 355-5008   Fax: (517)353-4871  http://www.orcbs.msu.edu
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