Conference 7.286::digital

                Where are we doing anything with radioactive materials
        that would require such a program?? I can't think of anything
        that we do that would require such materials (but then I don't
        get around to all, or even most, of our facilities).
                
                /s/     Bob

    Every major facility has someone in charge of monitoring any toxic
    substances at that site.  I discovered this when I had a question
    about the drinking water at my site. 
    
    Contact your facilities groups if you have questions around radiation.
    
    Regards,
    Pierce

    There is (was) a field service policy concerning support is not
    supplied in areas subject to "high" levels of radiation.  Came out
    just after 3mile island and was (I think) in DECWORLD
    
    /s/ Jim Williams
    

    Sorry...I should have provided more info on the original note. 
    I am in a Software Services delivery unit in the CT district.  We
    are currently working at a customer's facility that has 'hot rocks'
    on site.  They have their own radiation badge program but I'm fairly
    sure DEC has one of their own.  I recall seeing some documentation
    a few months ago (it was one of those memos that was NOT electronic)
    that outlined DEC's program and the safety levels set by the
    corporation.  Does that help?

I would expect that visitors to a site where the employees wear film badges
would be also given film badges; either individual ones for one-time visits
to check for exposure due to an accident while there or regular ones for
cumulative exposure for contractors like yourself.

Since you're in the field, I would call U.S. Field Occupational Health at
DTN 223-5210 (617 493-5210).  Or you should simply ask your customer.

/john

      I presume that the original inquirer is aware of the following,
    however, here's a sensible warning:
    
    	Do not work around any radioactive equipment (X-ray machines
        included) without wearing at least a film badge and preferably
    	a film badge and dosimeter.
    
    I worked as a co-op student at Argonne National Lab in one of their
    experimental high-energy physics groups.   During one of our weekly
    group meetings, one of the new physicists in the group proposed
    that we align our detectors using Cobalt-60 sources.  I asked
    "Isn't Cobalt-60 highly radioactive?"  The answer was a quantified
    "Yes".  I then stated that there's no way I was working in the
    experimental area with a Cobalt-60 source.  The rest of the techni-
    cians concurred and that was the end of the Cobalt-60 idea.
    
      My point is that people who work with radioactivity all the time,
    especially physicists, can become complacent.  Thus, DEC policy
    or not, my above recommendation stands.
    
    Greg 
    

    they use film badges in hudson and maybe(mind you this is a maybe)
    in shrewsbury and andover.
    
    if you work in the ion implant area in hudson you get a film badge.
    
    
    kelly
    

    
    
    
    For specific information about on site radiation exposure to a DIGITAL
    field engineer contact :
    
    CHUCK MCGRAIL or MARK LIFFERS
    VWO/C06
    UXB::LIFFERS
    UXB::MCGRAIL
    dtn 275-2154
    
    
    They are Field Service Employee Health and Safety. If there is a
    policy regarding radiation exposure limits they should be able
    to tell what it is and where to get a copy. 
    
    Basically it is a site by site issue where the FE follows the customers
    procedures up to a certain point. We don't expect an FE to go into
    a room that requires full body armor or to work on a unit that is
    HOT. 

    For a copy of a list of gerally accepted radiation values send mail to 
    
    HARPO::CACCIA 
    
    Steve Caccia 
    
    Field Service Product Safety
    OGO1-1/H17

  When I was out in the Field and calling on Princeton Plasma 
  Physics Lab (where they make many small nuclei into fewer 
  but larger nuclei and excess neutrons), I wore a film badge
  as did all persons in the facility.

  Other places you might see a real risk of exposure:

    - Any area where electron micrography is being used 
      (including various DEC sites),

    - Any area where CRT systems *ARE BEING DEVELOPED* 
      (let's not start the VDT-usage discussion),

    - Certain *ANCIENT* oscillography systems prior to the 
      coming of image intensifiers (such as are used in the 
      Tektronix 7104),

    - Certain chemistry operations, notably in the life 
      sciences where radioactive tracers and auto-radiographic 
      images are very common,

    - Certain industrial operations such as weld inspection
      where X-rays are employed,

    - Medical applications of all sorts (X-rays, PET -- Positron 
      Emission Tomography, radiotherapy, tracers, etc.),

    - Neutron activation analysis,

    - Mining, smelting, and refining of certain ores,

    - etc.


  There are lots of opportunities, especially for Field Personnel.

                                   Atlant

Not too many years ago, I serviced a customer site that had "hot" 
sections. Upon arrival, I signed the registry book and recorded
the number of the film badge I wore that day. These visitors badges
were collected monthly (?) and checked by a testing firm for excessive
exposure.

The question arose on my part, what happens if there is an indication
of excessive exposure?

The dry reply from the site manager, "We call everyone who wore the badge
during the month, until we don't get an answer."

Joke ?  I hope so, but it made me aware of a higher priority to provide
for my own safety.

                                  J.T.B.

	There seem to be two major corporations that provide film
badges for monitoring radiation exposure.  Both are located in
Illinois:
		Siemens		800-323-6015
		R. S. Landaur	800-323-8830

	According to a customer service rep at Landaur, the film
badges are sensitive to X-ray, beta, and gamma radiation (I'm not too
worried about alpha).  Badges are changed monthly and mailed back for
processing.  A second "control" strip of film is mailed both ways with
your badge strip to tell them what, if anything, got picked up in
transit.  After they process the film, they send a report and
explanation.

Cost:
	Both companies charge $1.00 per person as a "set-up" fee and
Landaur pointed out that the companies expect one year paid in advance
(no partial refunds).

Siemens:      # of	     per month      per month
	    customers	     before 4/1     after 4/1

		1		5.65		6.22
		.
		.
		9				1.93

Landaur:      # of
	    customers	     per month

		1		5.85
		2		4.65
		3		3.65
		4		3.25
		5		2.70
		6		2.70

	I believe some of our internal sites already do business with
Siemens.  I don't know if we can take advantage of any corporate
agreement we might have with them.  This seems like a reasonable
request to make of one's manager either way.  If that doesn't fly, I
may be interested in joining a group purchase here in CT.