Author: Brett Rosenberg, Sr. Health Physicist at NV5
Radiological accidents (or off-normal events) do occur. Fortunately, very few of them result in harm or damage. Due to public perception and potential phobias associated with radiation and radioactive material, it is important to keep messages consistent and controlled. This is to the benefit of a company’s reputation, involved individuals’ privacy, and, if done correctly, the public’s level of understanding.
Training is an opportunity to get ahead of accidents associated with radiation. Training helps prevent the occurrence of off-normal events and helps elucidate the hazards truly present within the workplace. Training can thus be the first line of ‘defense,’ or standardizing workplace practices and interpretation of radiation hazards. It is possible, though, for news of off-normal events to reach uninvolved persons – public or workers – where the news may be accompanied by misinformation or lacks information vital to understanding the extent of the event.
Keeping information close and messages at the technical level of the audience can be beneficial to a company’s reputation, an individual’s privacy, and a program’s safety culture. There are resources and techniques that can improve consistency in communication, thereby increasing trust between you, your organization, and those with whom you interact. Consider incorporating these into your training and operations.
For more information about how NV5 can help with radiological consulting services and training, contact Alan Fellman, Ph.D., CHP, Senior Health Physicist and Director of the NV5 Training Academy at 301.674.7447 or Alan.Fellman@nv5.com.