Medical vs. Occupational Exposures

["William G. Nabor" <wgnabor@uci.edu>]

    On the question of monitoring medical exposures along with
occupational ones, I think an important point has been overlooked:
The nature of the benefit.

    A medical exposure represents a health risk for a health
benefit.  We can debate the magnitude of the risk and benefit but
_in theory_, at least, when we receive a medical exposure we
receive a medical benefit that is greater than the risk.

     An occupational exposure, on the other hand, is a health risk
for a monetary benefit (i.e., we are risking our health for money).

     It makes sense to limit the ability of employers to require us
to sacrifice our health for commercial considerations.  It does not
make sense to limit a physician from requiring a sacrifice in
health for a greater health benefit.  Hence the dosimeter for
occupational considerations and not for medical procedures.  To put
it another way:  Suppose you knew for sure that you had received 5
rem of exposure from an accident on the job last week.  Suppose,
also, that you are having chest pain that is not job related.
Would you refuse to continue working and receive more occupational
exposure, as required by law.  Probably.  Would you refuse to let
a physician take a chest X-ray to determine the nature of your
chest pain?  I wouldn't.  Therefore, it makes sense to know your
occupational exposure.  But if you are going to let your physician
treat your medical condition regardless, why do you need to know
what your medical exposure is?  If you are concerned about
receiving additional job-related exposure after a medical one, or
you are concerned that the medical exposure represents a greater
risk than the supposed benefit, then a calculation of the medical
exposure is probably going to be more accurate than a dosimeter,
so, again, why wear one?

           

!
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William G. Nabor
University of California, Irvine
EH&S Office
Irvine, CA,  92697-2725
WGNABOR@UCI.EDU
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