NPR Article on Radium Dials

[navydoc]

While not specifically a Rolex topic, I thought some of you with radium dials may find this an interesting piece of history. I specialize in Family Medicine and Occupational Medicine. The story of the "Radium Girls" is well-known amongst Occupational Medicine specialists; and is often used as an example of the terrible latent effects of chronic, low doses of ionizing radiation (specifically when ingested). The lady in this article quit her job during her first week on the job as a radium dial painter because she didn't like the taste of the radium paint...lucky for her. Enjoy

http://www.npr.org/2014/12/28/373510..._medium=social

[omitohud]

Thanks for posting. Goid read 👍


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[powerband]

Thanks for the share. It is a sad story. Incredible that Ms. Keane lived to be over 100, though she was the exception to the several dozen "Radium Girls" who died within 10 years from ingesting Radium to make watch dials.

We've come a long way to protecting workers -- though not there yet.


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[GeoGio Greece]

..."there are still lessons to be learned about how we protect people who work with new, untested substances."

Us, people working in the industry, every day see new techniques and materials, that replace the ones used so far because................

I did participate in such a replacement project, when the raw materials used in a specific application, for the last 15 years, with revolutionary at that time materials, had to be destroyed with monitored processes, as the years of use showed that they were bad for the environment. And not only.

In 15 years from now, may be the materials used a couple of years ago as the solution, will proove another danger.

And some of these applications is marketing, for promoting sales and turn overs, but for sure not all of them