“Unt oD23s- GF Geretoratc Las iuiaes, Nov piciee - OFFICE MEMQRANDUM . Pate: March 7, 2952 RG 326 US ATOMIC ENERGY Tos Jack Clark, J-DO Fron T, L. Shipmen, Mo De Subject: Routine Physical Examinations for Test Ferocanal Svepolz H - ACY ASAD conepa ; Sap 30g BEST COPY AVAILABLE A certain avount of confusion and saxe misunderstanding has recently Or)BOR over what appears tobe e change in policy concsrming physical exan roww ments for those meabers cf ths Laboratary staff participating in test coca tions oither at NPG or Enivetok, This momo is to explain the positicen adap zed by H Division and to qutlino the procedure which we propose to fallacy. It is obviows that physical examinatian requirenznte for militery perccinol, civilien perticipants, end construction workers who are to pexticipate ace tively in test operetieas and who will enter ceateminated areas sacild, in: so far as it is reasonable and preper, be wniforn. The militesy bac alread: statei its requirezenty which will be found in the Handbook of Atavic Wanne1B for Kodiesl, Offiears which wes publiched in Jura, 1552,‘acd which. applics.“toths Ary, the Navy,.and tne Air Forea. In edditicn to the ordinary physicel exwie naticn procedures, which ere designed to assure that the individual is in average good heeith and withers obvieus physicas Gieabil sty; thse following ocedurss are alsa required: (3) ehest Xqerays (1) uvinatysis; (2) camlete bles cecus It “5s stated im this handbock that nig a samilar exazi« netion kes been condusted during the past three months, a repent exeninsticn will not bs necessery, provided a resard of such exrninetion is maintcined p B 4 z 2 qualify; such a bleod caomt is fairly cation at Los Alamos beecvsa of the 2 altitude. | & ca file." The hancbeok gous on to list certain physical regivivaroni-s, doo Vistion trom vhich wenld discusiify a persea fron work involving expomre ty Tacietion, With oly one of these requireronts can we arbitrarily di.caurae: 4t is stated that a total red bleod coll count above 6.5 milliwould dis= . / 8. 8 ke fer es Los flano: personel is concerned, we will siso disagree with the stipulation that chost Xereya ss often aa every three conths might be noces-bery. For Leboratary vorkers under 45 yeara of age wa do nct y-opose to de & uk z 8 roatine chest X-reys oftencr than once a year, and for those over 45, oftcn:r| than once in six mmths. We shail also use ox diserction in the frequency cf & bload ccunts and the canpleteness af physicel ecaminations, but in genzcrai ‘=Q wo wSll net depart from the spirit of the Jaw; we must be able to assura the © = test director and eae tack farce cemzanter that those being sent to the tes: arac are presumably and to the best of oer knculicdge in good health and in = esequate physica’ conditios to withstand the risars of the werk, iS oy It might be well at this time to digress ucc2znt-rily to cezsfdez the qu7Lo tion of chest X-rays. The usunl. chest Xerar tetion with sternderd equips aS using the suslt siced film, delivers to the int‘vidval’s chast e doso p84: everagss frau 250 to 300 ur. Tho exposure vith the full sized 14° x 17 eS film is slightly less. In both cases the equipent is shieléec so thet tH sure to cther perts of the body is mininal and inalewficert. It is genctelly hold by the best authorities in the country Wwe TOL ET a8a FAT that such exposures ~