Re: Dose estimates when dosimetry is lost/damaged

["Frank "Free Spirit" Borger" <frank@rover.bsd.uchicago.edu>]

> From:          "Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@ix.netcom.com>
> To:            Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject:       Re: Dose estimates when dosimetry is lost/damaged

> This part of Kent's post I will respond to, just to clarify my 
> position regarding the philosophy he quoted.
> 
> >..........................  And as I recall from
>> some of your previous posts, you believe that EVERY worker at a
> >university/hospital should be monitored (Justified because of the
> >potential for litigation...
 
>I want to reiterate that my belief that more people need to be 
> badged beyond the minimal regulatory limit is MY opinion. This has 
> been my philosophy way before I joined ICN Dosimetry...

	Gentlemen! I think we have an apples and oranges discussion
	going here, mainly  due to the different backgrounds (nuclear
	power versus medical.)  IMHO:

	1/ There are significant differences in how "controlled"
	     controlled areas are, and how many miscellaneous workers
	     and visitors are occasionally present in these controlled areas.

	2/   A typical research linac gets buttoned up after a RSO
	     or equivalent does a walk-thru of  the area, and the area is
	     sealed off, (often double-locked.)  A therapy linac will have
	     typically 30 patients a day, with attending relatives, transport
	     people, personnel to monitor IV's or Inhallation therapy
	     equipment, referring MD's who want to see a treatment,
	     and various other people parading thru the treatment room.

	3/  It wouldn't happen at Argonne or at a power station, but I've
	     seen hospital visitors open the treatment room door of a linac
	     room, (with the beam on,) and when questioned about where
	     they were trying to go say, "How do I get to the Illinois
	     Central commuter train station."

	4/ Locking the door is viable in a research/power situation, but
	    not in therapy as I know it. I got called down once when thru a
	    strange set of cirumstances, a patient did get locked in the
	    room. The patient was totally immobile, and the therapists
	    couldn't find  the key to open the door. To put it politely,
	    the situation resembled a 6-clown circus parade.

	Sorry if I started to ramble, but I hope you see my point. 
	Who is at risk, what that risk is, and how to minimize risk,
	(and  how to CYA,) change greatly depending on the situation.

Frank R. Borger - Physicist - Center for Radiation Therapy
net: Frank@rover.uchicago.edu   ph: 312-791-8075 fa: 791-3697

"Have the accordion player sound the charge!"... "He can't sir, he
took a bullet in the bellows during 'Lady of Spain.'" - Dave Barry