🚀 go-pugleaf

lachlan@dmp.csiro.au (Lachlan Cranswick) writes:

>If your company has a "safety first" attitude, then I think you
>should be trying your best to setup the equipment that nothing
>above background is measured by the counts detector. (i.e., nothing
>above 2 counts per second)  

This is overly severe.  The concept of ALARA (as low as reasonably 
achievable) should be practiced.  ALARA does NOT demand complete
elimination of radiation from the workplace.

>As our company has a safety first policy, anything above background
>counts coming from our Powder X-ray diffractometers is considered
>a leak even if they have negligable biological damage value.
>While it can be argued that there is no health risk, it is definitely
>a good feeling when your superiors imply they care about your heath
>enough to spend money on your safety rather than their company cars, etc.
>We have had over $16,000 authorized for a full radiation enclosure
>because of a small leak (3 times background counts -
>CuK X-rays) that was only detectable
>1cm from the source.  This gives two complete levels of safety on our
>diffractometers which some people would argue is total overkill.

This is unfortunate because it makes a mockery of radiation safety.  It
opates those who abstractly fear radiation but for those with some knowledge
of radiological procedures, it is the radiation equivalent of crying
wolf.  Pretty soon the mockery destroys confidence in the system.  People
begin to assume that ALL radiological hygene procedures are "wolf crying"
and ignore them.

John

John
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