We have had similar issues where I work, and I work for the US Government (Env. Protection Agency). Many of field personnel who do site inspections and clean ups are issued radiation film badges a s a part of our safety policies. Several of our on-scene coordinators have been *forced* by airport security to pass their film badges through the x-ray machines, and have refused to hand inspect the items. This, in effect, fogs the badge and results in a reading that makes the individuals appears to have been exposed to a radiation source. Thus we have to go through the hassle of documenting each exposure and explaining to the NRC it is not a radiation exposure, but bone-headed stubbornness on the part of the FAA. In fact, my Radiation Safety Officer is preparing to write to FAA on just this matter....and to turn over the paper work on documenting the "exposures" to the FAA so they can address the issue for each incident we have.
It is absolutely ridiculous that the FAA will not follow its own set of rules and regulations pertaining to hand checking of items, but hopefully if we threaten them with a vast amount of paperwork, they will get the word. FWIW, the Federal Protective Service, who provide security at federal buildings, has been very good about working with others agencies to ensure sensitive items do not have to be x-rayed. It seems FAA is just not wanting to get on board with current practical policies and is just "following orders" to x-ray everything. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Otis Wright, Jr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2002 6:31 AM Subject: Re: Film at airports, again > We going to get reasonal solutions to a lot of air travel challenges until DOT > and FAA are overhauled -- in my opinion, they servce the carriers not the > customers acceptance of the new security requirements notwithstanding. These > knee jerk, low tech reactions to the new security requirements are not going to > foster much of a recovery for the industry -- in my opinion. It takes time to > catch up, but I see no indication they know where the goal posts are located. > > We have reduced our air travel to only that which is just not optional. > > Otis Wright > > Richard Seaman wrote: > > > Joe, > > > > I also just came back from 3 weeks overseas, carrying 75 rolls of film. > > Like you I requested hand inspection, and at O'Hare and Houston (twice) they > > grudgingly granted it. > > > > To make life easy, I always carry the film in a large clear plastic > > ziplock bag without plastic canisters, so the film is readily visible. They > > swabbed it for explosives, also, but the whole bag rather than individual > > films. > > > > I must say that I got very angry about the rudeness of the security > > staff, I really felt that I was being treated like a criminal rather than a > > customer. I believe it is possible to be professional without being > > obnoxious. > > > > Both at O'Hare and Houston I was told that the x-ray machines "wouldn't > > affect" film under ASA1000; at Houston I lied and said I had some 1600 film > > mixed in with the 400 and 800 which was actually in the bag. I'm thinking > > of buying 4 rolls of cheap 1600 film to carry with me in future so I'll have > > more leverage with these people. I was also told in Houston that from Feb > > 20 or thereabouts the FAA was mandating that all film go through the > > scanner. I don't know if this is true or not, but you heard it here first. > > > > Richard. > > > > home phone: (1)(847) 244 5463 > > home page: www.richard-seaman.com > > > > --- original message --- > > > > I'm just back from three weeks overseas. Departing Albuquerque airport > > on January 13, I asked for a hand inspection of my film, as I usually do > > at U.S. airports. Result: they opened and wiped every cannister, then > > tested each wipe on the sniffing machine (the one they use for portable > > computers). Then they also made me remove my shoes, and wiped and tested > > those. As each wipe takes a few seconds, this is time consuming for the > > quantity of film I had with me. > > > > Guess I won't ask for hand inspection anymore. > > > > Joe > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. > > - > > This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, > > go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to > > visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . > - > This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, > go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to > visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
