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This paper presents the perspectives of past presidents of the Health Physics Society who also happen to be women. Only 6 out of 63 Society presidents have been women, and of these six, five are still living and briefly reflect on their experiences here, alongside a brief discussion of the first female president of the Society. These perspectives provide historical insight into the evolution and happenings of the Society as well as adding personal touches to the office of the president that hopefully will encourage junior Society members to consider serving.

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Program Area Committee 2 of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) provides guidance for radiation safety in occupational settings in a variety of industries and activities. The Committee completed three reports in recent years covering recommendations for the development and administration of radiation safety programs for smaller educational institutions, requirements for self-assessment programs that improve radiation safety and identify and correct deficiencies, and a comprehensive process for effective investigation of radiological incidents. In addition, the Committee jointly completed oversight of a report on radioactive nanomaterials, which focused on gaps within current radiation safety programs. Ongoing work currently consists of a report on sealed radioactive source controls. Future efforts may deal with operational radiation safety programs in fields such as the safe use of handheld and portable x-ray fluorescence analyzers and an update to the existing NCRP report on Instrumentation and Monitoring Methods for Radiation Protection (1978).

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The Health Physics Society (HPS), formed in 1956, is a scientific organization of professionals who specialize in radiation safety. Its mission is to support its members in the practice of their profession and to promote excellence in the science and practice of radiation safety. HPS has been a diverse body since its beginnings, encompassing professionals from different disciplines with an interest in radiation safety issues. At that time, health physics was just beginning to emerge as a distinct discipline, initially spurred by the development of the atomic bomb and amplified by the commercial use of nuclear power, and there was a need for a professional group to discuss issues and share ideas and experiences in the field. Over the following years, both the field of health physics and the ranks of the HPS membership experienced a steady increase in numbers and interest. HPS continued to grow in numbers and thrive through the mid-1990s but then began to retract. Concern regarding the "graying" of HPS was being discussed as far back as the late 1990s, yet despite efforts to broaden the base of membership through additional membership criteria, the numbers of Plenary (now referred to as Full) members have continued to shrink. The "graying" of HPS is real-although age demographic data are only available for about the past 15 y (and are provided voluntarily), the shift in age distribution over this timeframe is clear. A recent survey indicated that over 50% of HPS members are over 50 y of age, and over half of the respondents plan to retire within 10 y. As members age, they convert to Emeritus membership or drop their membership altogether, with some members unable to continue for financial or health-related reasons. There is now an age gap-members in their 30s and early 40s are missing from the mix. Potential causes for declining membership may include smaller enrollments in academic programs, reduced employment opportunities, and societal factors. There appears to be reduced employer support for participation in professional activities and travel to conferences. Societal factors include easy access to professional information through the internet, balancing of family commitments, other volunteer opportunities, and a general decline in joining professional groups. So, what is the fate of HPS? We are not alone-other professional groups are experiencing the same overall trends in membership to differing degrees. A number of initiatives have been launched or are being considered by HPS in an effort to offset this trend.

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Program Area Committee 2 of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements provides guidance for radiation safety in occupational settings in a variety of industries and activities. The Committee completed three reports in recent years covering recommendations for the development and administration of radiation safety programs for smaller educational institutions, requirements for self-assessment programs that improve radiation safety and identify and correct deficiencies, and a comprehensive process for effective investigation of radiological incidents. Ongoing work includes a report on sealed radioactive source controls and oversight of a report on radioactive nanomaterials focusing on gaps within current radiation safety programs. Future efforts may deal with operational radiation safety programs in fields such as the safe use of handheld and portable x-ray fluorescence analyzers, occupational airborne radioactive contamination, unsealed radioactive sources, or industrial accelerators.

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Sealed radioactive sources are encountered in a wide variety of settings-from household smoke detectors and instrument check sources through fixed industrial gauges, industrial radiography, and well logging sources, to irradiators and medical teletherapy devices. In general, the higher the level of activity in the sealed source, the stricter the regulatory control that is applied to its use, control, and ultimate disposition. Lower levels of attention and oversight can and do lead to sources ending up in the wrong place--as orphan sources in uncontrolled storage, disposed in a sanitary landfill, melted down in metal recycling operations and incorporated into consumer products, or handled by an unsuspecting member of the public. There is a range of issues that contribute to the problem of improper disposal of sealed sources and, in particular, to disused source disposal. Generally licensed sources and devices are particularly at risk of being disposed incorrectly. Higher activity generally licensed sources, although required to be registered with the (NRC) or an Agreement State, receive limited regulatory oversight and are not tracked on a national scale. Users frequently do not consider the full life-cycle costs when procuring sources or devices and discover that they cannot afford and/or are unwilling to pay the associated costs to package, transport and dispose of their sources properly. The NRC requirements for decommissioning funding plans and financial assurance are not adequate to cover sealed source transport and disposal costs fully. While there are regulatory limits for storage of disused sources, enforcement is limited, and there are only limited financial incentives in a small number of states for owners to dispose of the sources. In some cases, the lack of availability of approved Type B shipping casks presents an additional barrier to sealed source disposal. The report of the Disused Sources Working Group does an excellent job of framing these issues (www.disusedsources.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/DSWG-Report-March-2014.pdf). This article reviews both the issues and the report's recommendations, which are designed to improve sealed source control and encourage proper disposal of disused sources.

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Sealed radioactive sources are used in a wide variety of occupational settings and under differing regulatory/licensing structures. The definition of a sealed radioactive source varies between U.S. regulatory authorities and standard-setting organizations. Potential problems with sealed sources cover a range of risks and impacts. The loss of control of high activity sealed sources can result in very high or even fatal doses to members of the public who come in contact with them. Sources that are not adequately sealed and that fail can cause spread of contamination and potential intake of radioactive material. There is also the possibility that sealed sources may be (or threaten to be) used for terrorist purposes and disruptive opportunities. Until fairly recently, generally licensed sealed sources and devices received little, if any, regulatory oversight and were often forgotten, lost or unaccounted for. Nonetheless, generally licensed devices can contain fairly significant quantities of radioactive material, and there is some potential for exposure if a device is treated in a way for which it was never designed. Industrial radiographers use and handle high activity and/or high dose-rate sealed sources in the field with a high degree of independence and minimal regulatory oversight. Failure to follow operational procedures and properly handle radiography sources can and has resulted in serious injuries and death. Industrial radiographers have experienced a disproportionately large fraction of incidents that have resulted in unintended exposure to radiation. Sources do not have to contain significant quantities of radioactive material to cause problems in the event of their failure. A loss of integrity can cause the spread of contamination and potential exposure to workers and members of the public. The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements has previously provided recommendations on select aspects of sealed source programs. Future efforts to provide recommendations for sealed source programs are discussed.

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