Radiation affect on human body

[B.PRESGROVE]

Alright Im really getting bugged at work, even though I have only been there a month and a half.  My dilemma is being the new guy, the new RSO in town, I have 8 years HP prior to this working at DOE site and I am seeing a total lack of anything dealing with nuclear products. 

I work in a nuclear pharmacy and we deal with TC-99, I-131, I-132, I-133, Th-201, and a product called Molly or Molydmum all of which is pretty hot when we use it.  I have seen fellas reach into waste drums that are reading about 100 mrem, I have see fellas hold their hands over waste holes in the drug hoods that are reading almost 2000 mrem, and there is no regard for contamination or cross contamination.  No one frisks out of the lab properly and when something is said its just blown off.

I have been trying to set a good example for others to follow but to no avail, and have even been blown off as being too anal about this "stuff that wont hurt ya" or "it will decay off in a few hours or days".  The head RSO really does not have any power over these fellas and they really dont care, but I do and we are about to get a cyclotron that produces product reading 100s of curies giving off gobbs of beta, gamma, and neutron. 

Do I just remain silent and keep on doing the right thing when I am suppose to, or do I gently begin to explain what chronic and acute doses do to you.  Do I explain what cross contamination does to a QC check and its potential out comes.  When I see someone not wearing the proper PPE do I ask them to don it before continuing.  I dont want to over step the SR RSO, but.........

Just a little feed back on this would be great.

[Motown homey]

Read your Radiactive Materials License, 10CFR20 and any other regulations referenced in your license.  If the common practices or procedures go counter to them (which it sounds like they do), point this out to the Sr RSO.  If you get no satisfaction, go to his boss and point out that in accordance with 10CFR19, your next step would be to report the actionable offenses to the NRC (or state - if you are working in an agreement state).  Your biggest problem is doing all of this with tact - one thing that Nukes in general aren't known for.

Continue to provide the example of how things are supposed to be done.

Good luck. 

[RDTroja]

I agree with Motown. Ask yourself if you want to be part of the problem or part of the solution. You may also have to ask yourself if you want to be part of the problem if no one wants to hear the solution. That is a bit harder and may require a change in venue.

Many hospitals have very poor radiation protection practices and the problems are deeply ingrained. You may be considered a trouble maker if you try to change things, but it is still the right thing to do. Only you can decide if doing the right thing is worth the effort. I personally would rather work as a laborer than be professionally impotent, which seems to be the situation you are describing. But that is easy for me to say... I don't have to make that decision right now.

[Already Gone]

Motown is right.  Tact is required.  But you have to find a tactful way to tell your boss that you don't think your job and your integrity should be at odds with each other.

That's true isn't it?  The only people who need to shed their conscience and integrity when they arrive at work are criminals and politicians.

Make it clear to him that you came there to earn your pay, and you want to do it honestly.  Also make it clear that you are aware that part of your job description is to take this to the regulatory authority if necessary.

Remember, they are not paying you to go along.  They are paying you to protect the public, the patients, and the staff.  You know what you have to do.

Just take a few deep breaths first.  Try to approach it from the angle that you hope to improve performance - rather than pointing fingers or placing blame.  Tell 'em that you know you can help make things better than they are without making it more costly.  (You can always play the card that it is cheaper to keep it in order than to fix it later.)

How could they possibly refuse you permission to do that?

[hankrearden]

  do nothing. if you act the only one punished will be yourself.

[JsonD13]

Speaking of tact, here might be a good line if you have to consider reporting:

"Sir, I know that we could get in alot of trouble for what's going on here.  I think we should nip this in the bud now before we get reported on our bad practices.  Here is what may be a good solution to get us out of this mess, ................"

[B.PRESGROVE]

  Good points all of you.  Im not going to do anything just yet, but I have been taking notes and reading up on my regs.  I will probably wait till after my 90 day or even 6 month period before I start really making comments, but I do think it is a good idea to start "tactfully" pointing things out to the workers of things they need to change or correct, as any good HP would do.  A good HP should always do the right thing no matter where he is practicing his trade.

I really appreciate the insights yall are putting out there.

[wlrun3@aol.com]

   ...like gunnery sergeant Hockaday (later sergeant major Hockaday) told me...talk the talk, walk the walk...leadership by example...

[Chimera]

I have been trying to set a good example for others to follow but to no avail, and have even been blown off as being too anal about this "stuff that wont hurt ya" or "it will decay off in a few hours or days".  The head RSO really does not have any power over these fellas and they really dont care, but I do and we are about to get a cyclotron that produces product reading 100s of curies giving off gobbs of beta, gamma, and neutron. 

Herein lies the crux of your problem.  I have found myself in similar circumstances in the past and I understand how frustrating it can be.  If the RSO has no power over these individuals, who does?  Why don't they care?  Where did this culture come from?  It appears that you have run into a systemic problem that won't be cured easily or quickly.  There is no magic pill to suddenly make these people see the light.  You might have to face the simple fact that there is nothing you can do without jeopardizing your job. 

While tact is important, as identified in previous posts, finding the real source of "power" is the path to your solution.  Discovering the historical basis for the workers' lack of concern is also vital.  Solving this problem may well require a total shift in management's mind set relative to the perceived risk of the materials they are handling.

Do your homework thoroughly before jumping up on your soap box.  Maintain your own professionalism - it will rub off, albeit slowly.  Once you've identified the real nature of the problem and the real source(s) of power, you will be in a better position to proffer a pathway to the site's success in overcoming years of poor work practices.

[RAD-GHOST]

Beercourt,

Tact is required.  But you have to find a tactful way to tell your boss that you don't think your job and your integrity should be at odds with each other.

That's where the term "COMPROMISE" enters the Equation....Like it, or leave it!     

RG

[LaFeet]

Keep excelent records and surveys.... copies away from work.  Document ALL your concerns in a tactful manner.  Be cautious of how and who you aggravate with your concerns.  Post NRC Form 3 on your office space wall and in areas frequented by others.

[retired nuke]

Here is a couple of links off the NRC web page - a bud of mine was hired at Mallinckrodt to help fix it up..

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/enforcement/actions/materials/ea97342.html
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2000/00-064i.html
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/enforcement/actions/materials/ea01108.html
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/enforcement/actions/materials/ea00143o.html
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/enforcement/actions/materials/ea00178.html

Just some light reading from our government friends about the medical isotope industry....

Hope this helps.

Keep your chin up, but your head down

[Brett LaVigne]

In my mind, at the end of the day I try to go home with my integrity in tact. Our primary function as Radiation Protection Techs is that we protect those who work in our facilities from ionizing radiation (even if they don't want it). It sounds to me that you are a person of integrity and should continue being the "anal one" at work. If you were working at a low risk facility with little to no "real" radiological hazards I would say to do the right things but pick your battles. You are working in one of the most dangerous areas in the nuclear industry (once you get your neutron pea shooter) and the consequeces of not doing the right things can be a very big deal.

I, as well as many of you, have noticed a decline in HP's "stroke". We give in constantly to give way to production. At some (many) plants we are treated as a huge inconvenience. The older I get the less likely I am willing to negotiate radiological controls. If it's wet you are going to wear plastics, if it's airbourne you get resp. protection, if it's contaminated you wear PC's and if it's streaming huge gamma's, beta's or neutrons you stay the heck out of it's way.

Where tact is concerned, you need to be part sales person in this job. You have to sell the fact that ionizing radiation is bad for you and HP is a department that partners with other departments to accomplish the task at hand. We work for every other employee on site in order to keep them safe. I have had a great deal of success getting people to do what I need them to do by keeping this mind set. Humor works well too, let them know you are serious in a light hearted way (until you need to get really serious) is pretty effective.

Best of luck, it sounds like an otherwise intersting place to work.

[B.PRESGROVE]

Some more excellent points.  Housedad your links were great.  I already saw one area where change should be performed now.  When we perform purity or QC tests of our product we do not handle the syringes with radioactive product in them with any type of shielding.  I notice some of the counts into the hundreds of thousands when we place the sample media into the counter, so that is one thing to start tactfully suggesting.

I really appreciate all of yalls feedback. It lets me know there are still some folks out there that care about HP work and doing it right.

[SloGlo]

Keep excelent records and surveys.... copies away from work.  Document ALL your concerns in a tactful manner.  Be cautious of how and who you aggravate with your concerns.  Post NRC Form 3 on your office space wall and in areas frequented by others.

sum vary good advise hear.  one of the bestest thing about data documentation by puter is da ease of getting copies to an offsite spot.  use it. 
lafeet's comment about aggravating udders is priceless and shud be platinum clad.  imho.