RE: Estimating doses from criticality accidents

[L_K_II_Les_Aldrich@RL.gov]

Doug,

I see no reason to apologize, nor do I think your use of the word
"tragic" was inappropriate.  My dictionary says tragic means regrettably
serious or unpleasant.  It certainly is regrettable that the accident
occurred, and, from reading the daily updates of the patients'
condition, it is certainly unpleasant for them and their families.  It
is especially regrettable that the accident was caused by unauthorized
short cuts and that it could have been prevented.

It doesn't matter how many people are killed in industrial accidents
(also tragic) or in automobile accidents (tragic, too).  Tragedy is not
a comparative exercise.  Just because "only" three people were injured
seriously in the accident does not make it a non-tragedy.  

Les Aldrich
l_k_ii_les_aldrich@rl.gov

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	g2v13a@swbell.net [SMTP:g2v13a@swbell.net]
> Sent:	Monday, November 08, 1999 6:45 PM
> To:	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject:	Re: Estimating doses from criticality accidents
> 
> May I offer an apology to the "list" for my
> inappropriate use of the word "tragic" ?
> 
> If my attempt to learn from others more
> knowledgeable than myself about events
> that are not reported with great accuracy
> or detail in the news media is inappropriate
> in this forum, then I apologize and ask to
> be removed from the list before I offend
> others with my poorly phrased questions.
> 
> Doug J.
> g2v13a@swbell.net
> -------------------------------------------------
> Bernard L Cohen wrote:
> 
> >         What is so extraordinarily "tragic" about these events?
> Dozens of
> > workers are killed every day in industrial accidents in U.S. alone.
> Over a
> > hundred are killed every day in motor vehicle accidents. This
> accident
> > involved 3 people who made a very serious mistake and are suffering
> for
> > it. Our hospitals contain perhaps a million people who are suffering
> from
> > problems that are not of their own making.
> >
> >
> > Bernard L Cohen
> > University of Pittsburgh
> > Pittsburgh, PA 15260
> > Tel: (412)624-9245
> > Fax: (412)624-9163
> > e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu
> >
> >
> **********************************************************************
> **
> > The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and
> subscription
> > information can be accessed at
> http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
> 
> **********************************************************************
> **
> The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
> information can be accessed at
> http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html