RE: Film Dosimeters - Multiple Badges for individuals who go to multiple locations- opinions please

["James G. Barnes" <mail15077@pop.net>]

Mark,

I think there are a lot of variables involved.  Nevertheless, it seems to me that the request is extreme.

If it is absolutely essential that the regulatory agency have a record of where dose was received, then I would suggest that pocket dosimeters be issued to your technicians, and a pocket dosimeter log be maintained at each facility.  This is a bit of a hassle for the technician (a minute a day in logging in and out), but it is much easier to administer than trying to keep track of 22 badges for any individual.  I believe that several vendors offer a low energy  dosimeter specifically for X-ray work; electronic versions might also be useful.

Also, what is FDA's regulatory authority over your operation for occupational exposure issues?  Generally, I thought that each state provided oversight of X-ray operations in hospitals.  Are you a federal facility or something?

Jim Barnes, CHP
Radiation Safety Officer
Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power / Boeing
mail15077@pop.net


-----Original Message-----
From:	Mark Steinbuchel [SMTP:markst@ONC.hhsys.org]
Sent:	Thursday, March 05, 1998 1:36 PM
To:	Multiple recipients of list
Subject:	Film Dosimeters - Multiple Badges for individuals who go to multiple locations- opinions please

Soliciting opinions -
We just had an FDA Mammo inspector ask that we have every radiologist, 
radiology technician and biomedical repair technician that we use become
separately badged at every one of our 22 different departmental locations 
within our health care system.  We have previously treated this as one 
Hospial System with but he says that the Landauer Multiple Employer Total 
Exposure Report (METER) system that shows when they moonlight is not 
enough.  By badging each location, you could show exactly where an exposure 
was received. (Despite our QC, calibration and area monitor systems.  
Intends to write us up as a Class III violation. What do you do on this?   
Comments please, so I can present other opinions to my Radiation Safety 
Committee.
Mark Steinbuchel, CHCM
Alternate Radiation Safety Officer
Huntsville Hospital System
markst@ONC.hhsys.org