RE: New Jersey school incident

["Mcelrath Susan S." <MCELRATHS@rscpo1.wilm.ge.com>]

The New Jersey incident is a golden opportunity to educate the public about 
radiation and radiation risks.  We should take advantage of it.

Susan McElrath
mcelraths@rscpo1.wilm.ge.com
 ----------
From: radsafe
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: RE: New Jersey school incident
Date: Thursday, May 08, 1997 3:18PM

OK - lets pull this apart a little.

>I can't believe what happened in that school the other day.  First of
>all, it shows the ridiculously extreme phobia about radiation.  Not only
>the school, but the hazmat team that investigated.  Who did they call on
>to look at this rock??  What were they thinking wearing lead aprons???
>The response team should have walked in, picked the rock up with their
>bare hands and brought it back to the teacher, students, and school

First,  Who was called?  Probably the first place you call in an "emergency"
or
"saftey" situation, 911 or a fire dispatch.  This will get a hazmat team.
Hopefully
with some rad training, but evidently not in this case.

Two.  Assuming there was minimal or no training, they probably went with 
what
they were told by the dispatcher.  It was probably on the order of  --  The
school
has found a mineral sample that is giving a high radiation reading on a 
geiger
counter.  Assumption --  the rock is hot.  Okay -- lead helps stop 
radiation,
thats
why dentists use it.  The dentists probably wern't given all the details 
when
the
FD asked to use their aprons.

Last  -  Once a hazmat team is activated, they will (have to) work under the
assumption of an unknown material that is worst case until they find out
otherwise.   This keeps them alive to respond to other unknowns.  If I had
been
their boss I would have considered discipline or remedial training for any
emergency responder that walked into a room and picked up an unknown with
their bare hands without doing some classification.  They probably responded
appropriately for their training.

What was not appropriate was a teacher using the survey/rate/whatever meter
without knowing how to interpret the results they might get.  The rest of 
the
HooHaw is just prudent CYA in a litigious society.

This is definatly an area where the HPS, RADSAFE and any other
professional/educator could be of public service.   I have volunteered at
schools and given talks.  It doesn't always convince, but it usually allows
some
exposure to reality and reveals common myths.

Just my Opinion,  this does not reflect an official response.
Zack Clayton
Ohio EPA
zclayton@central.epa.ohio.gov