Browsing by Author "Carruthers, E"

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    Effects on the surrounding population of postulated major accidents at the AAEC Research Establishment
    (Australian Atomic Energy Commission, 1972-11) Button, JCE; Carruthers, E; Cook, JE; Crancher, DW; Davy, DR
    The consequences of accidents in specific facilities at the Research Establishment are examined in terms of possible exposure of persons living around Lucas Heights to release airborne radioactive and toxic materials. In the case of radioactive materials both individual and population doses are estimated the latter over a range of meteorological conditions. Using currently available data on the risk of development of adverse effects in irradiated populations further estimates are made of the possible number of cases of such effects in the local population.
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    Health and safety record of the nuclear industry
    (Australian Atomic Energy Commission, 1975-09) Carter, MW; Carruthers, E; Button, JCE
    This paper examines the claim of the nuclear industry to have an excellent safety record, in terms of health and accident records of workers in the industry. It does not consider accidents which have not resulted in harm to the workers' health. The nuclear industry is considered to include all work with ionising radiation's and radioactive materials, in education, research, medicine and industry. Since 'safety' is not an absolute concept, comparisons are made with the published records of other industries, and a study is made of the performance of the nuclear industry in relation to its own safety criteria. Data are presented on the radiation exposure of nuclear workers in Europe, America, India and Australia, in relation to the internationally recommended limits, and there is some discussion of the risks involved in these limits. The death rate in parts of the nuclear industry in America, the United Kingdom, and Australia is presented and compared with the death rate for other industries in those countries, and a listing is made of deaths caused by radiation in the period 1945 to 1968. Injury rates for the US and Australian nuclear industries are also compared with the injury rates for other industries in these countries. Consideration is given to the safety record of individual components of the nuclear industry (using the wide definition of this industry given above), special attention being given to health records or uranium miners, plutonium workers and radiologists. Although there are difficulties in obtaining sufficiently detailed information of this kind it is considered that the data presented, relative to any reasonable standard, demonstrate that the nuclear industry has a safety record to be proud of.