J.CAC VOLUME 35 (2010)
Dealing with Radiation Hazards: The Luminous Dial Project at the Canada Science and Technology Museum
The Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation (CSTMC), which includes the collections of the Science and Technology Museum, the Aviation Museum and the Agriculture Museum, has housed artifacts containing radioactive material since its creation in 1967. Efforts have been made in the past 15 years to properly label and store this material, most recently a collection of approximately 1200 radium dial instruments. Since this required staff involvement, many of whom had no previous experience with or knowledge of radioactive materials, guidelines specific to Canada were developed internally to clearly explain the regulations and risks, and to provide practical methods of mitigating those risks. The article describes the occurrence of radiation in the collection and the Luminous Dial Re-housing Project, and contains summary information including a glossary, guidelines for personal protection, and handling guidelines specific to Canada. It is always advisable to contact the regulatory bodies prior to working with this material.
Download: JCAC35 Warren