Communication of Source Appropriate Hazard and Hazard Mitigation Information to Emergency Responders
H. Wallace (Boeing)
A method for communicating the potential hazard of radiation sources and appropriate hazard mitigation procedures to emergency responders is presented. A combination of online and hardcopy documentation, signs, and training are used to communicate essential information appropriate for the particular source of radiation. This communication system addresses concerns that emergency responders may have either an exaggerated or minimized perception of the hazard, and may make critical decisions based on incorrect information. The system presented differs from regulatory required signs which are designed to communicate expected conditions in an area, in that it communicates hazards potentially present in an emergency situation that may not be present during normal operations, and also categorizes those hazards in ways easily understood by emergency responders. The system presented has been used and proven for over a decade by a large industrial user with a broad scope license, x-ray, and accelerator operations.