AOR
ZQoPZ
4°
& a
XS OFFICE MEMORANDUM 20.00.
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TOs
Fred C, Schlemmer, Manager, HDO
DATE:
FROM:
Lauriston S. Taylor, Chief, Applied Biophysics
SUBJECT:
RADIATION EXPOSURE RECORDS
January 3, 1949
Branch, Div. of Biol. and Medicine, Wash., D. C.
The following statements are part of a far-reaching program. which
the Division of Biology and Medicine would like to uniertake. We
would appreciate your giving this memorandum wide distribution
throughout your own organization and among all of your contractors.
We have taken the liberty of transmitting a similar memorandum to
the Manager of the Schenectady Area.
We have been asked to give consideration to the posaibility of
establishing a standard system for reporting radiation exposures
from the various 4EC installations.
The purpose of such a propesal
ie to develop and maintain pertinent information on radiation exposures
for future correlation with medical data.
This is primarily to be
part ef a long-range scientific experiment in which we can visualise
the necessity for reviewing such recorda over the next 50 years.
Aecardingly, it is highly desirable that all such information
maintain a certain degree of uniformity both in detail presentation
andin the general correlation of information presented. The only
immediate values in maintaining a standard reporting system would lie
in providing a source of information from which could be deduced
over-all trends in the number and degree of severity of radiation
exposures.
Any standardized reporting system would serve its normal purpose of
providing your ow organization with the necessary information for
all individuals whether or not they may have ever received enough
radiation at any time to require medical attention. The records of
each institution should be prepared with a view that they may be
called into use at any time within the next 50 years, and hence their
proper storage is a problem to be considered.
It has been suggested by one of the Directed Operations that we
atandardize all health physics records throughout the Commission.
We are not in a position to pass on this since at the moment we are
uncertain as to what would be involved in such a move. It would be
' most helpfyl if you could send this office a brief summary of what
information you keep, how it is kept, and copies of your various
data and report forms.
We would also apprecsiatd any of your comments
and ideas on how the objective outlined above can beat be accomplished.
It may be that the forms on which the infornation isnow kept. bythe
various sites will be adequate for the job without any changes. In
undertaking the problem we would like, however, +o assure.ourselves
of this fact by stutying the material.fram each site.
BEST COPY AVAILABLE