Radiation mishaps in Australia 2005 to 2010
The newly posted ACIRs show errors involving medical uses of radiation are the most common cause of critical incidents.
ARPANSA comes clean on annual reports Karen Dearne, The Australian, * October 22, 2010 DIAGNOSTIC radiology has emerged as the highest-risk area for medical radiation errors,
The material appeared without notice on ARPANSA’s website just hours before the agency faced questioning by the Senate Community Affairs committee as part of the latest budget estimates round…….
The newly posted ACIRs show errors involving medical uses of radiation are the most common cause of critical incidents.
Diagnostic radiology errors included unnecessary scans or x-rays, wrong locations, wrong doses and patient misidentification.
Thefts, transport accidents and a case of a person obtaining five ionizing radiation devices from an online auction were recorded. In the latter case, the person subsequently placed one of the items – an industrial radiography x-ray unit – up for sale on eBay. ARPANSA intervened to have the item withdrawn.
In 2009, 81 out of 98 cases reported occurred during medical procedures: diagnostic radiology 43; nuclear medicine 27, and radiotherapy 11.
In contrast, three incidents occurred during industrial radiography processes, and there were two cases involving workers registering unexplained high doses of radiation (HDR) on their personal monitors.
In 2008, 84 out of 108 cases occurred in medical settings: diagnostic radiology 42; nuclear medicine 31, and radiotherapy 10. In other cases, industrial errors were reported in six cases, HDR in four and there were two instances of theft.
In 2007, 62 out of 84 cases were medical: diagnostic radiology 39; nuclear medicine 19, and radiotherapy 4. Five other incidents involved damage to radiation sources during transportation and two were industrial.
In 2006, 59 out of 90 cases involved medicine, with the remainder including seven industrial incidents and five HDRs – including two workers exposed to airport baggage x-ray equipment and one mail x-ray unit worker. The eBay case was listed as unauthorised disposal of a radiation source.
Medical incidents reported in 2006 were: diagnostic radiology 27; nuclear medicine 22, and radiotherapy 10.
In 2005, 52 out of 77 cases were medical, with nuclear medicine accounting for 34 incidents, diagnostic radiology 15 and radiotherapy 3. In other incidents, six workers recorded HDRs, there were two industrial and two thefts reported.
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1.This month.
The Road to War brings a sharp focus to why it is not in Australia’s best interest to be dragged into a war with China which will almost inevitably go nuclear very quickly. The filmmaker has interviewed some of Australia’s senior foreign policy analysts who have vast experience behind them in analysing what really is going on here as the United States rattles its sabres with China. And sets us up to be its proxy, like the poor Ukranians have been fed into the Meatgrinder. So America can remain the Top Dog. The Road to War reveals how the United States through its spy base at Pine Gap and by stationing six nuclear capable B52 bombers in the Top End (without permission from the traditional owners) is making Australia a prime nuclear target if the current war of words suddenly melts down into full scale war.
The Road to War shows the implicit connection between Carbon emissions (the US military uses a whopping 70% of America’s annual petroleum to move its armies and vast War Machine around the globe to its 800+ military bases..but under a loophole wangled at Kyoto, the US military does not have to report its C02 annual emissions). The Road to War starts screening at selected cities and regional centres in March. See the trailer end for details.
Antinuclear 
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