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John -
And this is my problem with the TSA and machines that use radiation. None of them are properly trained on the machines and, I could be wrong but, I don't believe I've ever seen one wearing a radiation badge.
The backscatter body scanners are fine SO LONG AS someone doesn't turn up the juice (think board TSA that wants to see skeletons) or the machine functions properly. This article illustrates that adaquate trainning and safety measures are not in place. It's scary to think TSA employee's sit looking at the carry on scanner all day and those machines could be emitting an lethal dose of radation to them.
At hospitals, anyone working around any sort of radiation is shielded by distance and often lead. Raditaion techs were raditation badges that let them know if/when they're recieving to much radiation. So what do TSA employee's think? I asked one about the safety and her answer was, "This machine is safe. I stand next to it all day." She also told me the backscatter body scanner didn't use radiation.
To me that screams lack of education for TSA employee's and, when you're working with raditation, lack of education can be a deadly problem.
Like I said, it's not the machines that scare me. It's the people running those machines and the people in charge of making sure those machines remain safe. TSA employee's appear to have to little knowledge on the subject to be trusted.Our timeshare and other photo's at http://dougp26364.smugmug.com/ -
Ten yrs from now there will probably be all kinds of law suits from TSA employees who have acquired cancer.Kay HComment
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Actually, what is scary is the media hype. The measured radiation is very low. The TSA has Health Physicists reviewing the procedures and safety.Originally posted by JWC
In case you don't know what a health physicist does the primary job is radiation safety.
If it can be shown that an employee receives less than 10% of the annual limit (annual limit is 5 rem for radiation workers and 100 mrem for members of the general public)then they do not have to be badged. Many companies will still badge just for lawsuit protection.
As mentioned in the article, only half of the scanners being used are xray backsctter. The others are non ionizing radiation.
Smokers receive more exposure from smoking one cigarette than what is received from a whole body scan. Airline pilots/crew members receive an average of 1000 mrem per year from cosmic radiation which is far more than they will receive from the scans.
Media hype.Comment
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If (and when the governments involved, that's a big if) the machines are run properly, there's probably very little risk. However, as time goes on and we begin to understand more, unthought of risks tend to rear their ugly heads decades down the road. Like I said, I did a quick quiz of the TSA and discovered they really didn't know squat about the machines. Not a big vote of confidence IMHO.
Speaking of things that were thought safe, only to find out that wasn't really correct, how many remember the shoe fitting fluoroscope?
The shoe-fitting fluoroscope: a little known application of the X-ray | HemOncTodayOur timeshare and other photo's at http://dougp26364.smugmug.com/Comment
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I remember the shoe machine. I "worry" about it causing my athletes foot 50 years ago, but then again, it might be 16+ years of locker rooms with basketball teams.Originally posted by dougp26364 View Post
Since my toes haven't fallen off yet, I personally class concern about the TSA machines about as high as a meteor hitting the earth.
CheersComment
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This report is what concerns me. Members of my family have had melanoma, so I will not be going through the Testicular Scrutiny Administration's (TSA) Melanoma Machine.
http://www.npr.org/assets/news/2010/05/17/concern.pdfComment
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