On the Legalistic Aspects of the Radiation Exposure Record

Atomic energy installations have accumulated vast quantities of data for the radiation exposure record as a future interest matter and no small part of this accumulation has been for so-called legal reasons even though only a few legal precedents have been set in this particular area. Several rules have been laid down, or recommended by various agencies, but these are sometimes vague as to legal considerations or stated in broad terms because of the lack of uniformity in the laws of the various states. Specifically involved are (i) the workmen's compensation acts, (ii) the wrongful death statutes, (iii) a consideration for property rights in certain types of personnel records, and (iv) the law of evidence. Dose data maintained for technical reasons are usually identifiable with the medical aspects of dose interpretation while dose data maintained for the legal record are associated with evidentiary problems in law. This study reviews some of the legal problems encountered and evaluates these problems in relation to current requirements and recommended practices.