This volume reports the proceedings of a symposium held by the Midwest Chapter of the Health Physics Society. Radiation accidents are discussed from diverse points of view by psychiatrists and lawyers, engineers, and journalists as well as radiation specialists. There are no undefined technical terms and no mathematics. The first five chapters, explaining the nature of radiation accidents, their prevention, and methods of handling, contain information about which physicians and hospital personnel should be informed. The remaining three chapters deal with administrative aspects, government services and regulations, and the ethical problems of radiation accidents.
The discussions after each chapter are pertinent. They are well salted with thought-provoking questions and occasionally peppered with controversy. The reader will be impressed by the number of different types of radiation accidents which are possible and, conversely, by the relatively low number of accidents which have occurred.
As is inevitable with symposia, in spite of