Drug & Device News

In 2009, President Obama called for a worldwide effort to better secure nuclear materials. In response, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a study in 25 hospitals nationwide, and on March 14 the agency issued a report outlining problems that must be addressed in order to further the President's goal. See www.gao.gov/assets/590/589345.pdf. Among these is better securitization of radioactive materials located in hospitals. These types of radiological sources, although not usable in building a conventional nuclear bomb, could provide the raw material for building a “dirty bomb” that could potentially spread radioactive material around a city or any other vulnerable place. According to the report, “GAO found that NRC's security controls for hospitals and medical facilities do not prescribe the specific steps that must be taken to protect their radiological sources. GAO also found that medical facilities have implemented the controls in various ways. This has created a mix of security measures at the locations GAO visited that could leave some facilities more vulnerable than others.” At some of the medical facilities investigated hospital personnel spoke of discomfort at being placed in charge of security over radiological materials because they were not also given adequate training concerning how to carry out their duties. At one hospital, access to a room containing a blood irradiator was ostensibly secured by a combination lock system, but someone had written the combination on the outside door jamb, which was located in a heavily trafficked hallway. And at some hospitals, windows leading to rooms with radiological materials often were not secured beyond a conventional window lock. The GAO intends to conduct further studies that include more hospitals, and plans to issue a more comprehensive report by the end of this year.