RE: External Monitoring Criteria

["CHASE,VINCE AD BIPUS" <vchase@bi-pharm.com>]

Monitoring criteria is also driven by legal considerations.  Since there
is a very small probability that C-14 could be detected on a film badge,
not badging a person leaves the amount of dose delivered to a person as
a point of conjecture in court.  Since so-called "junk scientists" feed
off the unknown quantities in a court case,  the legal record generated
by a dosimetry company is a very important, defensible tool that a
lawyer can use in court to say with certainty that a dose was
insignificant.  Issuing badges to anyone who uses radioactive material
(other than tritium) is considered by attorneys to be very inexpensive
insurance against future litigation.

There is no scientific or regulatory criteria that drive this mindset,
purely a legal one. Many companies who have large exposure (aka, "deep
pockets") are more than willing to pay for the additional cost in worker
time and money to offset the exposure to future litigation.

Regards,
Vince Chase
Radiation Safety Officer
vchase@bi-pharm.com <mailto:vchase@bi-pharm.com> 
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals

The opinions expressed here are those
of the author and do not represent the
opinions, policies or practices of
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals.