Hazard and precautionary measures in connection with negligent or wilful contamination
-
R. Ahlfänger
and R. Scheidegger
Abstract
Handling open radioactive substances requires extensive precautionary measures in order to avoid any danger. During the past 100 years many persons were injured or killed due to unintended external irradiation, contamination of the skin or uptake of radioactive substances. With the help of organisational measures with users of sources and with operators of radionuclide laboratories or nuclear installations numerous accidents can be avoided or their consequences can be mitigated. Also the government itself is challenged in order to register and secure radioactive sources and maintaining the national safeguard. Education of personnel handling radioactive substances plays an important role when it comes to precautionary measures. In combination with suitable technical equipment it is possible to obtain a high degree of protection against the hazard from negligent or wilful contamination.
Kurzfassung
Der Umgang mit offenen radioaktiven Stoffen erfordert zur Vermeidung von Gefahren umfassende Vorsorge. In den letzten 100 Jahren sind durch ungewollte externe Bestrahlungen, Hautkontaminationen oder die Aufnahme radioaktiver Stoffe in den Körper viele Menschen verletzt oder getötet worden. Durch organisatorische Massnahmen bei den Nutzern von Quellen und Betreibern von Radionukidlaboratorien oder Kernanlagen lassen sich zahlreiche Unfälle vermeiden oder die Folgen mildern. Auch der Staat ist bei der Erfassung und Sicherung der radioaktiven Quellen und dem nationalen Schutz gefordert. Eine wichtige Rolle bei der Vorsorge hat die Ausbildung der Personen, die mit radioaktiven Stoffen umgehen. Zusammen mit der geeigneten technischen Ausstattung kann ein hoher Grad des Schutzes vor der Gefährdung im Zusammenhang mit fahrlässiger oder mutwilliger Kontamination erreicht werden.
References
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© 2009, Carl Hanser Verlag, München
Articles in the same Issue
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- Precautionary measures in case of radiological events
- Hazard and precautionary measures in connection with negligent or wilful contamination
- The Swiss disaster management plan for coping with the aftermath of radiological dispersal devices – “dirty bomb” operational concept
- Non-destructive measuring techniques for on-site detection and identification of illicit nuclear material
- Practicle example of the defence of a contamination incident
- Atmospheric dispersion modelling applying advanced model approaches
- Background information about polonium-210 – considerations on its biokinetics and internal dosimetry
- The Hamburg polonium-210 case: Monitoring of internal contaminations in a malevolent act
- Early warning against airborne radioactivity in Bavaria: Measuring network for radioactive immissions
- Automatic calculation of sites for positioning of mobile gamma probes in case of an emergency at a Bavarian nuclear power plant
- Nuclear emergency preparedness and response in Germany
- Determination and evaluation of the radiological situation using mobile measurements during the ground phase
- Erfahrungen aus der Übung „MERLIN“ zur Detektion radioaktiver Stoffe unter Beteiligung verschiedenen Einsatzfahrzeuge
Articles in the same Issue
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- Precautionary measures in case of radiological events
- Hazard and precautionary measures in connection with negligent or wilful contamination
- The Swiss disaster management plan for coping with the aftermath of radiological dispersal devices – “dirty bomb” operational concept
- Non-destructive measuring techniques for on-site detection and identification of illicit nuclear material
- Practicle example of the defence of a contamination incident
- Atmospheric dispersion modelling applying advanced model approaches
- Background information about polonium-210 – considerations on its biokinetics and internal dosimetry
- The Hamburg polonium-210 case: Monitoring of internal contaminations in a malevolent act
- Early warning against airborne radioactivity in Bavaria: Measuring network for radioactive immissions
- Automatic calculation of sites for positioning of mobile gamma probes in case of an emergency at a Bavarian nuclear power plant
- Nuclear emergency preparedness and response in Germany
- Determination and evaluation of the radiological situation using mobile measurements during the ground phase
- Erfahrungen aus der Übung „MERLIN“ zur Detektion radioaktiver Stoffe unter Beteiligung verschiedenen Einsatzfahrzeuge