troxler gauge exposure and baldness 1

[dirtmonky]

Hi all!
New to the forum and have a VERY important question. Just finished "handling" training for a new Troxler and am a bit apprehensive. Some of the older fellows, who have been exposed to their gauge for quite some time, have "jokingly" insisted that this MINIMAL exposure has led to some negative effects: including baldness, skin irritations, melanoma, etc. Is there any truth to this? I know that we are allowed 5000mrem/yr at the most,and we get approx. 360 mrem from natural "background radiation". Their film badge reports indicate very low levels...are these guys GREENING me?

Another certification and more pay does not warrant mutation!

Thanx for the input!

 

[BigH]

You know - its like the Chinese working with us wouldn't use the Troxler because they were afraid of going sterile - and the Indians all wore this heavy lead vest that hung down to their knees in +100degF weather . . . I once watched the nuke run by the Indians - they verilly stand 1m minimum away from the machine - I went up to it when it was running and carefully looked at the count, etc. then I startled a ran back a metre and the Indians all took off like an explosion was about to happen!
When I started out years ago in Canada they used badges and then did away with them - only knew one guy that had a reading - he kept his badge on the nuke overnight everynight! Remember to handle the equipment with respect, use it the correct way and I doubt you'll have any problems - might go bald, but this would likely be hereditary!

 

[Ron]

I agree with BigH....not a big issue. I have removed the source tube of a nuke gauge and did constant measurement with a dosimeter and a survey meter....even with the time it took me to disassemble the gauge, it didn't result in significant exposure.

If the radioisotopic source is removed and carried around in your pocket (hopefully no one is that stupid...though it has happened according to a manufacturer), you can get radiation burns and overexposure. In general, the source is sealed and shielded in the machine and is only partially exposed when the rod is pushed out for testing.

 

[iandig]

Please take this in the way it is meant.
Several years ago one of the technicians I had working for me was pathologically scared of using a NDM gauge, but was also too scared to tell anyone. If he had informed someone he was not happy using it, other work would have been foound for him.
This resulted in several problems, not least that we had to get rid of him when we found he had carried out a whole days work without turning the damn thing on!!. Other favorite tricks of his was setting it on the longest reading, then running away! He rapidly earned himself the name of "nuclear Norman". All of this came out once we had to get rid of him for the episode with the gauge turned off, but fortunatley no harm was done on site, all work could easily be re-tested as it had not been covered, and the Client found the whole affair highly amusing, (the tech had only been on site for two days).
Anyway, enough of the background, once he left our employ, he went to the doctor complaining of what he thought was radioactive poisoning, in that his b#+*s kept itching,
the verdict from the Doc was his jeans were too tight!!
The previous Company I worked for held the licence for multiple gauges throughout the UK, all staff who used them were badged up, and as far as I am aware, no one in that time was exposed to anything like the minimum levels, even after years of operation. There have also been instances where the gauge has been critically damaged, and again no leakage was recorded. The previous company used to provide geiger counters to check the gauge, all part of an increased H & S awareness when using something like this.

 

[PSlem]

Durham Geo just gave a speech at my monthly geo engineers' meeting about their new reflectometer, which uses electricity and three receiver rods to determine the water content and density. Problem around here is engineers are more concerned with skyrocketing nuclear regulatory costs.

 

[Ron]

iandig....interesting story. If he had known how the gage operates he would know that the radiation emission does not depend on whether the counting circuitry is on or off!

 

[BigH]

Another point - it is standard to have the machines checked yearly for damage.

 

[jheidt2543]

So, "nuclear Norman" was afraid of BALLEDNESS?