Re: Health Rating - NFPA

[Lester.Slaback@nist.gov]

Hopefully your RAM regulatory agency will object to this since the sign
represents no additional hazards and presents the potential of conflicting
with and/or confusing existing required posting.  If you present the
question to them I suspect that they will back you on this.

Further, I doubt that NFPA requires this.  Firemen are well trained to
recognized standard radiation signs.  This proposal implies otherwise. 
Perhaps a joint conference between your fire marshall and the regulators
would be fruitful.

>Our local Fire Marshall wants us to post, in addition to the "Radiation"
>warning 
>signs already up, NFPA diamonds with the "radioactivity" symbol in the
>white section
>*and* a health hazard rating in the blue section. These are licensed
>sealed sources
>that are being stored in a small bunkered building.

>Initially, he wanted a "4" rating under health, which I told him
>(diplomatically ;-) 
>was absurd and would mislead any emergency responders into thinking we
>had  something equivalent to cyanide gas in there! Now he's saying a "3"
>would be  in order. I think it should be a "1".

>I haven't found any ratings for "radioactivity" in my NFPA booklet.
>Perhaps someone
>here can provide me with a reference for this? Thanks in advance.
>Larisa Streeter

-- 
the above are the personal musing of the author,
and do not represent any past, current, or future
position of NIST, the U.S. Government, or anyone else
who might think that they are in a position of authority.
NBSR Health Physics
NIST
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
301 975-5810
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Lester.Slaback@nist.gov
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