Years ago, my HS physics teacher (he taught me about straight weight oils, VeeDubs, and Calgary) told us about a lecturer when he was at University who drew a sample of radioactive ore out of his upper desk drawer and showed it to anyone who seemed interested....apparently the lecturer had spent years with the ore positioned close to his leg/torso, and suffered horribly as a result...out of ignorance/stupidity.
When I went to the power stations, radiography of welds, using isotope sources is very common. We were presented with training regarding the signage, limits, and the position of the Radiation Safety Officer as the ultimate authority if a pea sized source fell off it's winder...They controlled the shots, who went where, dropped bags where etc...ended with a true industry story of a "grunt" who got to the power station gate, the source (inside it's shield) was checked, and showed no activity...the source had been lost...said grunt miraculously presented a short time later with an active shielded source, and some time later passed in horrible condition...appears that he went and found it and refitted himself.
Had some more training recently where people are starting to check the elemental composition of imported steels, for potentially radioactive elements, and overall radiation.
In all of the fake pipe, mal heat treated pipe issues that I've come across over the last 6 or 7 years, never once has radiation contaminated pipe crossed my mind.
Lecturer mentioned one of the biggest (known) contamination issues occurred when a radiotherapy machine was sold for scrap, and a truck load of contaminated rebar got lost, and turned into Los Alamos for directions.
http://www.window.state.tx.us/border/ch09/cobalto.html
When I went to the power stations, radiography of welds, using isotope sources is very common. We were presented with training regarding the signage, limits, and the position of the Radiation Safety Officer as the ultimate authority if a pea sized source fell off it's winder...They controlled the shots, who went where, dropped bags where etc...ended with a true industry story of a "grunt" who got to the power station gate, the source (inside it's shield) was checked, and showed no activity...the source had been lost...said grunt miraculously presented a short time later with an active shielded source, and some time later passed in horrible condition...appears that he went and found it and refitted himself.
Had some more training recently where people are starting to check the elemental composition of imported steels, for potentially radioactive elements, and overall radiation.
In all of the fake pipe, mal heat treated pipe issues that I've come across over the last 6 or 7 years, never once has radiation contaminated pipe crossed my mind.
Lecturer mentioned one of the biggest (known) contamination issues occurred when a radiotherapy machine was sold for scrap, and a truck load of contaminated rebar got lost, and turned into Los Alamos for directions.
http://www.window.state.tx.us/border/ch09/cobalto.html