...when they knew better!
I've worked as a radiation safety officer, and if I had caught anyone doing that in an area that I was responsible for, I would have kicked some serious butt. Alpha emitters not hazardous to human health outside the body, but very hazardous when ingested.
This film is as much an indictment of the workers, as it was the company.
Teresa
http://MermaidLady.com
[deleted]
I've read extensively on the working conditions at the plant. Many sources have said that they workers were not anywhere near fully aware of the dangers plutonium posed to their health.
They had little understanding that it caused cancer and would often hold contests to see who would be the first contaminated for the day and would get to go home early.
Not only is their lack of knowledge with what they were working with frightening, but also that it was actually so easy to get contaminated accidentally. I read that there were over 500 contaminations in a span of 4-5 years at that facility. Frightening!
^Evidenced by Karen finally reading her union manual on plutonium on the porch with Dolly.
Swing away, Merrill....Merrill, swing away...share
Yeah the company was definitely at fault. It's their responsibility to create guidelines and protocol and enforce them as well as educating their staff but clearly they weren't doing that.
shareCorrect. She also had to be reminded to check her hands at the door for radiation. It’s implied that she often forgets
The workers didn’t seem to observe safety . But at the same time, it appears that they weren’t aware. Remember when Karen is reading about plutonium and cancer from the booklet. Dolly says, “really? What are you reading?” (Or something like that). Then Karen says, “it’s from the union, we all got one of these” That implies that the workers didn’t read the booklet; and the company made no efforts at ensuring that everyone did read it.
The company was supposed to make sure the workers are informed about safety imo