TSA employees denied radiation badges

ETAV8R

ETAV8R

Well-Known Member
TSA employees who work in close proximity to equipment which produces ionizing radiation (x-rays) are denied access to dosimeters (x-ray badges). I work in healthcare as a radiologic technologist (x-ray tech) and I have had dosimeter reports for over ten years. Most of the time my fellow technologists and I keep a good distance from the source of x-rays but from time to time we do have to get close for one reason or another. It is unfortunate that the government which stipulates I have a dosimeter is denying them to their own employees. The effects won't be known for years.

http://www.sciencefriday.com/blog/2010/09/airport-screeners-denied-radiation-badges/
 
They'd probably get a lot of false alarms if they work around the radar machines also.

I highly doubt that they get a lot of exposure to it anyways because it's mostly on the freight side of the airport. The ones that the airlines fly is so minimal that the passengers aren't affected. So it's a minimal risk for them also. They have nothing to worry about.
 
they keep telling us it's safe to work around the machines... maybe that is why they don't let us stay on the x-ray all day...
 
KLB said:
They'd probably get a lot of false alarms if they work around the radar machines also.

I highly doubt that they get a lot of exposure to it anyways because it's mostly on the freight side of the airport. The ones that the airlines fly is so minimal that the passengers aren't affected. So it's a minimal risk for them also. They have nothing to worry about.
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Speedbird172 said:
I'm gonna go with a low blow here, but....do we really want those people procreating anyway?
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Definitely the uncool low blow.

Personally, as much as I hate the organization of TSA and the whole window-dressing reason it was created, the TSA people I've dealt with have always been professional, courteous, and I haven't ever had any problems with them. I'm sure there are some tools around, and were even more when the organization was first created, but I think most of them have been weeded out by now.
 
Speedbird172 said:
I'm gonna go with a low blow here, but....do we really want those people procreating anyway?
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For me 99% of the time it is not the individual TSA employees that I despise, but rather the organization itself.

Most of them just show up to work like everyone else, do their job, and go home.

It is the sheer lack of logic from the higher-ups that write the rules that I cannot stand.
 
Unfortunately these people are getting some exposure greater than the general public. A dosimeter doesn't give false alarms unless you leave it out in sunlight or heat. It is usually a film badge with varying degrees of lead or foil protection to emmulate different body doses. Skin, eyes, shallow dose, and deep tissue dose.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_badge_dosimeter

What is the harm in having people wear a dosimeter in a work environment that is potentially hazardous? And if these people were given badges there would also be control badges in various other areas of the airport terminal/baggage screening to see what normal levels of exposure may be from other sources such as radar. I'm sure if some of the naysayers had family members working in such an environment they would change their tone. I would love to see what the close proximity readings for either a Geiger or Scintillation counter would be.

And yeah we may end up with birth defects down the road. Guess who pays for that...we do. I deal with patients who have birth defects of varying degrees and even though I'm quite jaded in regards to it I would still not want to see it caused by something as easily prevented as exposure to ionizing radiation.
 
ETAV8R said:
Unfortunately these people are getting some exposure greater than the general public. A dosimeter doesn't give false alarms unless you leave it out in sunlight or heat. It is usually a film badge with varying degrees of lead or foil protection to emmulate different body doses. Skin, eyes, shallow dose, and deep tissue dose.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_badge_dosimeter

What is the harm in having people wear a dosimeter in a work environment that is potentially hazardous? And if these people were given badges there would also be control badges in various other areas of the airport terminal/baggage screening to see what normal levels of exposure may be from other sources such as radar. I'm sure if some of the naysayers had family members working in such an environment they would change their tone. I would love to see what the close proximity readings for either a Geiger or Scintillation counter would be.

And yeah we may end up with birth defects down the road. Guess who pays for that...we do. I deal with patients who have birth defects of varying degrees and even though I'm quite jaded in regards to it I would still not want to see it caused by something as easily prevented as exposure to ionizing radiation.
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I work with the stuff all of the time. It's really not that big of a deal. You get more exposure from sunlight than you do the material you're working around. It's super protected. If it wasn't, it wouldn't be allowed on passenger aircraft. The stuff not allowed on passenger aircraft is what I get to fly.:D
 
Nick said:
For me 99% of the time it is not the individual TSA employees that I despise, but rather the organization itself.

Most of them just show up to work like everyone else, do their job, and go home.

It is the sheer lack of logic from the higher-ups that write the rules that I cannot stand.
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Don't hate the players, hate the game. :) The vast majority of TSA front-line employees I've dealt with have been professionals that get the job done as prescribed, and sometimes even will offer apologies for the rules they're directed to enforce "Sorry about this sir, I know it's a little silly".

Sometimes, I get the distinct impression that the higher-ups have never observed a screening checkpoint in operation. (There's a reason why air traffic management is required by FAA order to spend at least 2 hours observing the operation from the control room...perhaps this idea should be extended to upper management of just about everywhere.)

What is the harm in having people wear a dosimeter in a work environment that is potentially hazardous? And if these people were given badges there would also be control badges in various other areas of the airport terminal/baggage screening to see what normal levels of exposure may be from other sources such as radar. I'm sure if some of the naysayers had family members working in such an environment they would change their tone. I would love to see what the close proximity readings for either a Geiger or Scintillation counter would be.
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:yeahthat:

If they think their occupational safety is in jeopardy, then they at least deserve to be heard and have the problem studied. Not dismissed out of hand.
 
KLB said:
I work with the stuff all of the time. It's really not that big of a deal. You get more exposure from sunlight than you do the material you're working around. It's super protected. If it wasn't, it wouldn't be allowed on passenger aircraft. The stuff not allowed on passenger aircraft is what I get to fly.:D
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What is it you transport and what do you think the workers are being exposed to? It may be two entirely different things. Unfortunately it is a big deal and does cause harm. It is very different than exposure to sunlight, which also has dire health effects. There is a higher incidence of thyroid cancer among radiologists who have worked directly with ionizing radiation for decades. In the healthcare industry much has been learned and precautions are taken for a reason. Much of the data for the effects on humans comes from Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and more recently Chernobyl.
 
Many types of radioactive material for medical use for as long as 6 or so hours. I've been flying it around on a regular basis for over two years now and so far has never been flagged with overexposure. All of the highly radioactive stuff is shrouded in these huge lead containers that weigh in excess of 300lbs. It emmits a minimal level of radiation. It's really harmless. There are others that are not shrouded in the lead, but it's not put on passenger aircraft. So the airport TSA wouldn't ever come in contact with it.
 
KLB said:
Many types of radioactive material for medical use for as long as 6 or so hours. I've been flying it around on a regular basis for over two years now and so far has never been flagged with overexposure. All of the highly radioactive stuff is shrouded in these huge lead containers that weigh in excess of 300lbs. It emmits a minimal level of radiation. It's really harmless. There are others that are not shrouded in the lead, but it's not put on passenger aircraft. So the airport TSA wouldn't ever come in contact with it.
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I think the concern is the x-ray machines not the cargo that might pass through the passenger side of the house.
 
mikecweb said:
I think the concern is the x-ray machines not the cargo that might pass through the passenger side of the house.
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Exactly. Very different. Nuc-Med Techs and Rad-Therapy Techs also wear dosimeters like the kind I do and what the TSA employees are being denied. Makes me wonder.
 
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...
 
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