Question

in the case study of "Radiation contamination caused by a transportation accident" Describe appropriate initial management of the driver and his assistant. Is the young boy who has not been located in danger? Explain. Are the other occupants of the houseboat at risk as a result of the accident? List at least four potential sources of radiation unrelated to the workplace to which the truck driver in the case study may be exposed.

Answer 1

#. The driver of the truck has minor burns on his hands and a deep laceration of the scalp. His assistant has second-degree burns on his hands and a simple fracture of his lower left leg. Also the health physicist has found that both of them are externally contaminated with radioactive material

So, the initial management of the driver and the assistant would be to manage the exposure to radioactive material and then the other injuries mainly burns management and fracture management and provision of other supportive care .

#. Yes, the young boy is also in danger as he has approached the site just after the accident happened .

#. The other occupants of the houseboat are also at risk because they are exposed to the radioactive material just after the accident happened .

#. Potential sources of radiation unrelated to the workplace to which the truck driver in the case study are exposed to are :-

- external contamination with the radioactive material after the accident which were emitting beta and gamma rays

- radioactive contamination along the trucks path as it rolled down the embankment .

- ruptured radioactive material containers