Results of 55 Years as a Professional Health Phyicist
R.G. Gallaghar (Applied Health Physics, Inc.)
The author's health physics (hp) work in the US Public Health Service (PHS)helped to end the use of x-ray shoefiutting fluoscopes, radium & thoriumointments and internal radium patent medicine usage in the US during 1950-54.His radiation emergency work on a raadium accident in Cincinnati was unprecedented in the PHS. That incient went to trial and the verdict set a legal precedent that made radioactive contamination uninsurable.His management of radium contamination after arson destroyed a Baltimore radium clinic made news, but insurance coverage of demolition of the clinic was denied. His discovery of facts about injury and death from x-ray exposure and methods used to end the mis use of these devices plus multi-tube security inspectionmachines, radium bracelets for punch press operators and compressed air radiography units are presented. His hp work helped gain insurance coverage protection for nuclear plants through global insurance underwriting aided by the Price-Anderson Act The author's unannounced radiation audits resulted in cancellation of insurance prior to a serious Ir-192 disaster. His prediction of fission product release a at an underground nuclear test saved risks to 3,000 miners near Carlsbad, NM. Retention of 1965 radiation records saved a client over $ 30 million in clean-up costs in 1999.
