Re: Idiot-proof survey meters

[Bob Flood <bflood@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

At 05:03 PM 2/12/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Why would you set it this low?  How could 2 mR/hr possibly be a hazard to a
>responding fire fighter.

A general-purpose alarm setting of 2 mr/h could be useful, specifically if
the facility doesn't normally experience dose rates over 2 mrem/h. Then the
alarm is indicative of a change in local conditions that warrants
attention. That would be quite reasonable.
 
But to set an action level for firefighters to evacuate at 2 mr/h doesn't
seem realistic. And adopting such an action level and training firefighters
to observe this action levels would give credence in the firefighter's mind
to the idea that 2 mr/h is harmful. And imagine the press fiasco that would
ensue if firefighters did indeed evacuate a burning facility and let the
fire have its way because of a several mr/h dose rate. How could you
explain to your workers who receive measurable doses that they haven't been
placed in a jeopardy that firefighters won't even risk?

---------
Bob Flood
Dosimetry Group Leader
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
(650) 926-3793
bflood@slac.stanford.edu

************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html