Re: Treatment of Contaminated Personnel

[Mike McNaughton <MCNAUGHT@lanl.gov>]

>d) Now let's take into account  the following  remark: If the dose rate is
>>1000 R/h, back off and do not perform a rescue.

Note: the "greater than" symbol is confused with the ">" symbol added by
the email program. This should read: >1000 R/h. If the dose rate equals
1000 R/h, I agree with the following analysis.

>This value is a dose rate and should consider the time necessary for the
>rescue. In case of the ICRP and IAEA recommendations, if the total effective
>dose considered for life saving is 500 mSv (50 R), and  considering  a
>scenario that the dose rate is 1000 R/h,  this means that the time for
>rescue should be not more than  3 minutes. It is really a very high balance
>for decision making.  

The difficulty is: there is no instrument to measure dose rates >1000 R/h.
Since the value is unknown, you cannot estimate a stay time. In an official
procedure, I think the advice should be: if your instrument is off scale,
back away.

In reality, perhaps a volunteer would perform a rescue anyway. Which leads
to the following.

In some existing training (not in Los Alamos) the official advice is: if
you measure ANY radiation, wait for the knowledgeable authorities. This
official advice is followed during exercises and drills. I am told: in a
real situation where life is at risk, we would do it differently. How strange!

>"Aspects of
>the Initial and Recovery phases of the Radiological Accident in Goiania,
>Brazil",  Proceedings of the International Symposium on Recovery Operations
>in the Event of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency - IAEA, Vienna,
>6-10 November 1989. If you which a copy please give me your  complete
>address and I will send to you.

Yes, I would very much like a copy. Please send to:
Dr M. McNaughton
J596
Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA

Thank you for your helpful comments. mike

"Shlala gashle" (Zulu greeting meaning "stay safe") mike
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