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RE: Survey frequency and inspection
Very interesting topic as I am also asking myself this question:
Should the researchers continue to perform their survey and contamination
verification or should I (we) do it ?
I really feel that there are good reasons for the two options but so far,
very few people reported how many lab or researchers are targetted. I'm sure
there is a certain point break where one option is better then another.
I have about 50 regular users, up to 107 potential users and up to 50 area
where radioisotopes are handled. And there is only 2 of us.... so who do you
think perform the regular surveys ?
If I consider the SAFETY aspect (because I read on some message, Regulatory
issues)
I think that researchers should do it. You mess it, you detect it, you clean
it, and I'm there for the service of HP consultant.Like that, some of the
researchers have the feel of what they are doing and certain sense of
responsibility.
My opinion, and some of the researchers here !
Stephane Jean-Francois
Spécialiste en radioprotection/Radiation Safety Specialist
Gestion des Risques/Risk Management
Merck Frosst Canada Inc.
Tel: (514) 428.8695
Fax: (514) 428.4917
e-mail: stephane_jeanfrancois@merck.com
> ----------
> From: Warren Church[SMTP:Warren_Church@uml.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 1998 1:08 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: Re: Survey frequency and inspection
>
> I think that the biggest advantage of RSO personnel performing monthly
> surveys i
> s in getting to know the researchers well enough so they will have the
> confidens
> e to call on you immediately for help if there is a major spill etc. If
> the RSO
> is just another reguatory police agency who we only get deficiency
> notices from
> then there may be a tendency to clean it up ourselves. We know what
> disaster t
> his can bring.
> Warren Church, UML RSO
> warren_church@uml.edu
>
>
> > >start performing less frequent but more thorough inspections.
> >
> > IMHO you're heading in the wrong direction. I feel strongly that all
> >
> > required surveys other than daily work area checks should be done by RSO
> >
> > personnel.
> >
> > Placing burden back on researchers reduces the level of service provided
> by
> >
> > your office (and the perception that you are a service provider as well
> as
> >
> > a regulator).
> >
> > You will also find that it will take almost as much effort to ensure
> that
> >
> > researchers are conducting surveys in a timely manner as it would to
> >
> > conduct them yourself.
> >
> > Since your survey frequency is defined in your license, you increase
> >
> > potential for problems during inspections.
> >
> > You reduce the frequency of visits by your personnel and your
> visibility.
> >
> > Our visits frequently trigger questions from lab personnel which they
> >
> > otherwise wouldn't raise and informal discussions with a strong
> educational
> >
> > component.
> >
> > amattox@mbl.edu>>>
> >
> >
> >
> > While I can agree with many of Andy's arguments, I also see many
> benefits in h
> aving the researchers/lab personnel do some of the "official" surveys. At
> my for
> mer workplace, we required lab personnel to survey their labs weekly, in
> additio
> n to our HP regular/required surveys. These "additional" surveys are more
> struct
> ured than the daily surveys but less involved than the HP monthly surveys.
> Since
> these are additional surveys, they don't reduce the interaction frequency
> betwe
> en HP staff and the lab personnel yet can provide the following benefits:
> >
> > 1) Better the chance of detecting contaminations that may occur during
> the 27-
> 30 days between HP monthly surveys
> >
> > 2) Since the lab personnel are doing the surveys themselves, they are
> more awa
> re of areas with potential problems and, hopefully, develop better
> appreciation
> for the risk involved. I have encountered many people who do not give much
> thoug
> ht to "contamination problems". If we tell them that an area is
> contaminated and
> needs to be cleaned up. They clean it up without bothering to know how
> bad the
> contamination was or why the area was contaminated (of course, these are
> mostly
> minor contamination, HP handles the "bigger" ones). If we make them "find"
> the c
> ontamination, document it, clean it and resurvey to make sure it's clean,
> then a
> t least we are requiring them to "think" about it more.
> >
> > 3) Lab personnel are less likely to "forget" how to use a radiation
> detection
> instrument (don't laugh! it's true. Some people, even veteran rad.
> workers, forg
> et how to use a GM detector properly)
> >
> > 4) If the lab personnel have questions, they will likely come to you for
> advic
> e therefore increase the interaction frequency and give HP staff a good
> chance t
> o be a "coach"
> >
> > 5) Break and, hopefully, chance the notion that "radiation safety" is
> HP's job
> !
> >
> > 6) Avoid more serious headache that the "minor" contamination can cause
> if gon
> e undetected.
> >
> > We were lucky to have complete management's support in instituting these
> addit
> ional surveys. They also took some extra time on our part at the beginning
> to ma
> ke sure things are done correctly. But I think this proactive approach
> will pay
> off in time and efforts saved from having to deal with larger problems
> later on.
>
> >
> >
> __________________________________________________________________________
> ____
>
> >
> > <bold>Quang Le
> >
> > </bold>SLAC/OHP
> >
> > (650) 926-2610
> >
> > (650) 849-9559 - pager
> >
> > <<quangle@slac.stanford.edu>
> > ************************************************************************
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> > information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
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>
>
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> information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
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information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html