another intentional P-32 misuse incident

[LIPTONW@detroitedison.com]

Please see attached NRC, PN Report.  Remember similar incidents at MIT and 
NIH?  You can bury your head in the sand if you wish, but I think that we
have 
an "epidemic" of these incidents, where workers are intentionally
contaminated 
by colleagues.  P-32 seems to be the weapon of choice.  What, if anything
can 
RP's do about this? 
 
The opinions expressed are strictly mine. 
It's not about dose, it's about trust. 
 
Bill Lipton 
liptonw@detroitedison.com 
 
June  3, 1998 
 
PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-IV-98-015A 
 
 
This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE 
safety or public 
interest significance. The information is as initially received without 
verification or evaluation, 
and is basically all that is known by Region IV staff in Arlington, Texas on 
this date. 
 
 
Facility                                    Licensee Emergency
Classification 
Washington Agreement State                    Notification of Unusual Event 
Washington State University                      Alert 
Pullman,Washington                                  Site Area Emergency 
License No: WN-C003-1                            General Emergency 
                                                                 X Not 
Applicable 
 
 
 
Subject:  CONTAMINATED FILM BADGES (UPDATE)    
                             
 
This is an update to a report received by the NRC on April 9, 1998, from the 
state of 
Washington. The state reported that on April 8, 1998, a representative from 
the Washington 
State University (WSU) reported a problem with personnel film badges having 
been 
contaminated.  
 
 
The original report from the state noted that WSU had been notified by its 
badge processor that 
it was unable to read five badges due to phosphorus-32 contamination. On
June 
2, 1998, the 
state told the NRC that 180 badges had been contaminated and that 175 of the 
badges had 
been contaminated by the original five contaminated badges. In addition, the 
state reported that 
only three April badges were found contaminated. These badges were worn by a 
husband and 
wife team who worked in the same laboratory. The woman, who was pregnant,
wore 
two 
badges, one for herself and a second to monitor fetal radiation exposure. 
Sabotage of the 
badges is suspected. There is no indication of any internal contamination by 
any of the workers 
at the laboratory.  
 
 
WSU is still investigating the incident, and the FBI is involved in the 
investigation.  
 
 
This information is current as of 2:30 p.m. (CDT) and has been confirmed
with 
representatives 
of the Washington Radiation Control Program.  
 
 
Region IV has notified OEDO, OPA, NMSS and OSP.   
 
 
 Contact: M. Linda McLean Linda L. Howell  
 
(817)860-8116(817)860-8213