Radium Dials…

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  • April 14, 2013 at 10:24 am #48578
    tmac1956
    Participant

      All:

      What precations do you take when working on clocks/watches with radium dials? Over the years, the stuff can get into the works and become airborn when you open them up. Do you see many of these?

      Just curious…
      tmac

      April 14, 2013 at 10:55 am #53452
      david pierce
      Participant

        Tom,
        A number of years ago my brother died from lung cancer at 29 years of age. He worked at a company that manufactured artificial joints. The radioactive x-ray machine at the time infected the dust in the air and it was being breathed in and also swallowed. Two people that replaced his job after him also died in a similar fashion. Personally, I would stay as far away from anything radioactive as I could.
        david

        April 14, 2013 at 12:58 pm #53453
        tmac1956
        Participant

          @david pierce wrote:

          Tom,
          A number of years ago my brother died from lung cancer at 29 years of age. He worked at a company that manufactured artificial joints. The radioactive x-ray machine at the time infected the dust in the air and it was being breathed in and also swallowed. Two people that replaced his job after him also died in a similar fashion. Personally, I would stay as far away from anything radioactive as I could.
          david

          david:

          Recognizing those things is an issue. I guess the added expense of a Geiger Counter might be needed. I do know that those poor women who painted those dials up until WWII paid an enourmous price. There are still tons of them around and collectors too.
          Thanks!
          tmac

          April 14, 2013 at 6:25 pm #53454
          david pierce
          Participant

            Tom,
            The problem was even worse than that. In the town where the factory was located people began dying of cancer. The location of the source was found by putting stick pins into a map and the dial factory was in the middle. The workers had been cleaning their brushes and paint cans at the end of their shifts and pouring the liquid out on the ground. Aparently it got into the water system.
            david

            April 14, 2013 at 7:46 pm #53455
            tmac1956
            Participant

              @david pierce wrote:

              Tom,
              The problem was even worse than that. In the town where the factory was located people began dying of cancer. The location of the source was found by putting stick pins into a map and the dial factory was in the middle. The workers had been cleaning their brushes and paint cans at the end of their shifts and pouring the liquid out on the ground. Aparently it got into the water system.
              david

              david:

              Yea – I think they call it Radium City.

              Tom

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