Radiation Safety Guides (Manuals)

["Sue M. Dupre" <dupre@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>]

Radsafers:

I'm posting the following message on behalf of my boss who is having
trouble sending out e-mail: 

"This is a question about "purpose."  As RSOs, we all have radiation
safety guides or manuals that are given to our radiation workers and their
supervisors.  My question is: what do you consider the purpose of that
guide to be?  Is it issued to provide these individuals with "your policy
statements?"  Is it a reference manual?  Is it a supplement to your
training materials?  Just how do you and your organization use and view
the purpose of the guide or manual?

Next question: How long is your guide or manual?  Is it written as simple
cookbook procedures to follow without any extra details?  Is it long and
somewhat textbookish in that it provides explanatory information with
details?  Do you intend your radiation workers will sit down and read the
entire manual or do you intend that they will use it as a reference manual
which they will read only when they have questions about particular issues
or procedures?  

In summary, we have all written these documents, but what was our purpose
as health physicists?  How much input did we get from the intended
audience in determining their needs and expectations?  I need to know
because I will be discussing these very issues with our radiation safety
committee members because we have been rewriting our guide.  You can
respond to me milwicz@princeton.edu or to RADSAFE if this issue is of
interest to others as well.  Thanks.
Bob Milwicz/RSO/Princeton University"

As noted in Bob's message, if you respond directly to him, use his e-mail
address (he IS managing to receive mail), not mine.

Sue M. Dupre, Health Physicist 
Office of Occupational Health & Safety
Princeton University
E-Mail:  dupre@princeton.edu           Phone:  609/258-6252