I would like to get a feel for current practice for sites with a Cs-137 blood irradiator. We do not wear badges but our previous Radiation Safety Officer had us keep one attached to the wall next to the irradiator. It has read nothing more than background. There is a meeting with our new RSO in a few weeks to discuss badges for areas that use them and I would like to suggest we discontinue ours if most places do not use them.

The only radiation badge we have in our blood bank is the one attached to the wall between our two irradiators. I've no idea if there are any plans to remove it. To be honest, since my station is the closest one to the irradiators, it makes me feel better seeing it there lol

Problem is Generic, such a badge will tell you that you've had too much radiation after the fact.

It's a bit like CCTV. It will allow your surviving family to watch how you were murdered - but it won't stop you being murdered.

Ok, I'll bite. What is CCTV?

Close circuit television - used, apparently, to deter crime, but actually used to film crime (and the criminals are now very good at avoiding being identifiable on CCTV (not that I'm cynical about these things, of course).

The people who sell/hire out these CCTVs are making an aboslute killing (if you will excuse the pun) on the back of people who actually believe that they deter criminals.

Our state Bureau of Radiological Health requires the badge by the irradiator. Since they don't ever detect anything, we only have to change them every other month.

Hi Bev, we only have one on the wall next to the irradiator. Satisfies some government standard. Radiaiton Safety changes monthly, no exposure ever - for nearly 20 years.

The only radiation badge we have in our blood bank is the one attached to the wall between our two irradiators.l

We do the same.

We have had to have one badge per employee for years since we had a user complain about symptoms after using the irradiator.

Thank you everyone. We are continuing with our current practice of one badge on the wall next to the irradiator.

We have had to have one badge per employee for years since we had a user complain about symptoms after using the irradiator.

Symptoms? I wonder if they were real or imagined.

How soon do symptoms from radiation appear?

If they were real, it could range from a couple of hours to a couple of days if using the CS-137. It maybe a little sooner if the IRR uses a Cobalt 60 source. But since most of these machines have 12 to 24 inches of lead, I cant imagine how such leak would go unnoticed . In others words, I think the employee was exaggerating their symptoms.

We have had to have one badge per employee for years since we had a user complain about symptoms after using the irradiator.

Are all the individual badges still reading negative, as do the ones next to the instruments?

Yes. They actually read "M" for minimal dosage, although pretty much everyone has lifetime readings (all under 100).

We all had a badge each after I asked for them years ago. Then following the years of negative results, I asked for ones for only those who actually use the irradiator and not just wander around.

There is also a wall one. Cant be too careful