Re: Healthy survivor effect -Reply

[Holloway3 <Holloway3@aol.com>]

In a message dated 98-05-19 17:01:11 EDT, you write:

<< If one wants to make the assumption that the "employees" are in fact, not a
random sample, then they can promote their disbelief, and wave their hands,
and shout, "health worker effect". As with any statistical calculation, one
can make the conclusion what they want. It just depends on your agenda. >>

Why would you think that employees are a random sample?  If they are a random
sample in all respects, then the careful selection process that most
organizations use in hiring is useless and they might as well hire people by
pulling names out of a hat.  That would be random selection.  The healthy
worker effect seems to be very real, and entirely understandable.  What we
should be pointing out is that a person's life style and personal habits (part
of the reason for the effect) is far more important than occupational exposure
to radiation.  That is the reason for the healthy worker effect.  Every chance
I get, I make the point to the anti-nuclear forces that such common risks as
smoking, driving an automobile and alcohol are far more serious risks than
exposure to radiation.  If a person or an organization wants to spend money to
save lives, they will save far more lives by spending the money and effort on
these common risks, rather than playing Don Quixote and tilting at the
windmill of radiation exposure.  I have developed a techinque that puts things
into the proper perspective.  When someone expresses concern about radiation
exposure, ask them how many people they have known who have died of it, and
then ask how many they have known who have died of automobile accidents, lung
cancer or alcohol abuse.  Of course the answer is always lopsided in the
direction of these common risks rather than radiation exposure.  

                                                                   R. Holloway
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