Firefighters and Dosemetry in the UK.

["Dr. Neil Utting" <radprot@radprot.demon.co.uk>]

Radsafers, 
                A request for some help, advice or opinions from across
the pond....  ( At long last ) firefighters are moving away from the QFE
and adopting Personal Electronic Dosimetry, with a few associated
problems.!!. Firefighters may have a requirement to wear dosemeters at
incidents as potentially radiologically serious as nuclear power plant
accidents, or at less serious incidents such as a Road Traffic Accident,
where radiopharmaceutical packages have been spilt, damaged,etc.

                The advantage of real time dosimetry is lost if the
instrument is worn in such a way that it cannot be seen; however, the
particularly robust nature of their job mean that their dosemeter may
well become contaminated if worn on the very outside of the tunic , in
the traditional "left breast" location. Good practice dictates that the
instrument should be checked frequently, and as firefighters have a
particularly high dependence on their air pressure gauges for the
majority of their operational work, it makes sense to locate the
dosemeter close to the pressure gauge. The "live or die" severity of
reading the gauges frequently is well instilled in the firemen during
training sessions.The operational disadvantage of this is that it is
equally likely to be torn off, and / or contaminated; indeed, this sums
up our experience to date, losses and contamination!!

                If one locates the dosemeter inside the clothing, and
bear in mind it can be very substantial clothing in the case of chemical
hazard suites, there is the advantage of avoiding contamination, but the
real time function is immediately lost, and the alarm capabilities for
accrued dose, and dose rate are severely challanged. The noise of
escaping air from exhalation valves also makes it very difficult to hear
these alarms, and is one of the reasons why the personal distress units
which audibly alarm when the wearer is immobilised, are so ( very )
noisy.

                We have been shown "dosemetry pouches" which apparently
come from the USA, and consist of a clear, see-through plastic pouch,
worn around the neck on a chain. The chain must be robust enough to
withstand the rigors of the job, yet not pose the threat of
strangulation in extreme circumstances.

                I think we are in danger of re-inventing the wheel;
surely firefighters in other parts of the world have been presented with
exactly these problems, so may I ask for your experiences? I doubt many
firestations are on radsafe, so please would you relay this to any
firefighters known to you!! To avoid the understandable wrath of
Melissa, please would you reply to me direct
Neil Utting,  on radprot@radprot.demon.co.uk    and accept my sincere
thanks for your time and effort. NJU Sat 15th 17:00 hrs
-- 
Dr. Neil Utting