TSA employees denied radiation badges

[ETAV8R]

So by the line of thought in this thread should all crew members be issued the meters too since we walk next to the machines multiple times daily...I see the need in a hospital setting just not by TSA...

In a perfect world maybe. The TSA employees work directly with these machines the majority of their shift and should be allowed to wear a simple device to measure their exposure. It isn't only the passenger screening devices you see but also the new computed tomography (CT, CAT SCAN) units which screen baggage and may be out of sight of the general public. I worked in airport operations when the CT scanners were installed. I asked what the exposure levels were and if the personnell would be wearing dosimeters. I was brused off.

As a pilot you are already in a group with increased exposure levels since you fly at high altitudes which equals less atmospheric filtering. Pilots tend to have higher rates of glaucoma.

 

[Pilotforhire587]

I'm gonna go with a low blow here, but....do we really want those people procreating anyway?

It took me until I finished reading the thread to stop laughing at that. But I have to agree most of them are cool. Its just that the ass hole ones are so bad they give the rest a bad name.

 

[USMCmech]

In a perfect world maybe. The TSA employees work directly with these machines the majority of their shift and should be allowed to wear a simple device to measure their exposure. It isn't only the passenger screening devices you see but also the new computed tomography (CT, CAT SCAN) units which screen baggage and may be out of sight of the general public. I worked in airport operations when the CT scanners were installed. I asked what the exposure levels were and if the personnell would be wearing dosimeters. I was brushed off.

I used to shoot industiral X-rays, so I know where you're coming from.

The X-ray machines that are used to look at your baggage are fairly powerful. Much stronger than the ones at your doctor's office. On the up side they are really well shielded, as long as you don't stick your hand in the chamber when the unit is on, you don't get very much exposure.

The hazard with radiation comes in two forms, a one time massive dose (Chernyobl firemen), or much more common repeated small exposure over many years (X-ray techs). Anyone who sits by a baggage scanner all day for years on end falls into the latter catagory and should have a film badge.

 

[Bumblebee]

Anyone who sits by a baggage scanner all day for years on end falls into the latter catagory and should have a film badge.

I gather from this comment that they will have plenty of years to seed the gene pool.