Re: give me your opinion

[Jim Abraham <jimabe@lamar.colostate.edu>]

It stands for Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health

Jim Dunlap wrote:

>      What the heck is IDLH anyway?
>
> ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
> Subject: Re: give me your opinion
> Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at guardian
> Date:    1/27/99 7:41 PM
>
> 1) Once again, is you became sick from inhaling Pu, it would be 10-30 YEARS
> later. If you needed chelation or lung lavage it could be arranged (Very
> unlikely).
>
> 2) We are not talking IDLH atmosphere here, we are talking airborne Pu.
>
> 3) When you say toxicity, do you mean from heavy metal?  Or radioactivity?
> So a battery bursts open and knocks your partner out in the same room as
> you.  Do you need a APR to respond? From the acid fumes or lead?  Neither.
>
> 4) I am appalled how you tied a non-nuclear event (IDLH atmosphere in a
> manhole)  to this and any nuclear plant.  Why didn't you bring up a IDLH
> manhole at a pet food factory instead?
>
> 5) This has strayed from the subject.
>
> My own opinion.
>
> Mike Dempsey
>
> At 11:08 PM 1/25/99 -0600, you wrote:
> >If the radiological aspect of this hypothetical accident is the only concern,
> >a respirator would just get in the way.
> >
> >However,  I've always been told the toxicity of plutonium is the far greater
> >hazard.  If this is true, we don't need any dead heroes.  Use the respirator.
> >
> >This reminds me of an occurrence in the 70's.  A new nuclear station was under
> >construction across the parking lot from the one where I was working.  When a
> >supervisor went to check on one of his workers, he looked into a manhole into
> >an underground conduit where the worker was doing some cleanup using a
> >solvent.  The supervisor saw his worker lying at the bottom and hurried down
> >the ladder to check on him.  They lost two men that day.  The worker and the
> >supervisor.
> >
> >Wear the respirator and whatever else you think you need to be safe.
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> The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
> information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
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--
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
James P. Abraham
Alt. Radiation Safety Officer
Radiation Control Office - Environmental Health Serv.
Colorado State University - Fort Collins, CO 80523-6021

Phone:  (970) 491-3928  Fax:  (970) 491-4804
email:  jimabe@lamar.colostate.edu
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>


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information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html