fear of radiation - psychological effects

[William V Lipton <liptonw@dteenergy.com>]

This incident, from the November 2, 1999, NRC "Daily Events Report,"
shows that radiation phobia is a real disease.

The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.

Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com


General Information or Other                     |Event Number:
36383       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| REP ORG:  FORT BLISS, TEXAS                    |NOTIFICATION DATE:
11/01/1999|
|LICENSEE:  FORT BLISS, TEXAS                    |NOTIFICATION TIME:
16:31[EST]|
|    CITY:                           REGION:  4  |EVENT DATE:
11/01/1999|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  TX |EVENT TIME:
11:30[CST]|
|LICENSE#:                        AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:
11/01/1999|
|  DOCKET:
|+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON
ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |CLAUDE JOHNSON
R4      |
|                                                |JAMES CREED
R3      |
+------------------------------------------------+JOHN HICKEY
NMSS    |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  BRIAN BRENISER
|                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  DICK JOLLIFFE
|                             |
+------------------------------------------------+
|
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A
|                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:
|                             |
|BAE1 20.2202(b)(1)       PERS OVEREXPOSURE
|                             |
|
|                             |
|
|                             |
|
|                             |
|
|                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| - POTENTIAL CONTAMINATION EVENT
-                                            |
|
|
| At 1130 CST on 11/01/99, a soldier opened and then closed four
chemical      |
| agent detectors to determine the presence of their 250
millicurie            |
| Americium-241 sources.  After closing the fourth detector, the
soldier       |
| complained of itching and burning of her skin.  She was sent to the
fort     |
| medical hospital to determine if she was
contaminated.                       |
|
|
| * * *  UPDATE AT 1921 ON 11/01/99 FROM MAJOR COOPER TO JOLLIFFE * *
*        |
|
|
| Fort Bliss Hospital determined that the soldier was not contaminated.
The   |
| NRC Operations Officer notified Region 4 (Linda Howell) and R3DO
(Jim        |
|
Creed).
|
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+




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