bzs@bu-cs.UUCP (Barry Shein) (12/03/85)
If it helps, I remember that NIOSH (Nat'l Institute of(for?) Occupational Safety and Health) had a report on VDT radiation (should be a listing available from a Washington, DC phone information operator.) They put out 50-100 page summaries of what's known about all sorts of things relevant to Occupational Health (do they still? Or has RayGun finally made Occupational Health illegal?) The reports usually consist of about 1/2 summaries of what's known followed by reprints of what they felt were significant articles on the subject. It's not going to be conclusive (only a fool would try to be) but it may shed some light on current knowledge anyhow. Remember, the back-reasoning of the engineer who pointed out that the KVAs used in home TVs is much less than that used in VDTs: a) Failed to prove that is true in *your* VDTs b) More importantly: Failed to take into account the fact that you typically sit 15 feet or more from a TV but a very few feet from a VDT (remember all that 1/R**2 stuff) c) Ignored whether or not these women allow themselves to be exposed to TVs either. Although it was useful (I'm not damning the author, just pointing out how myopic we can be when we have a point to make.) I suspect you are up against a brick wall, expectant mothers may very well take on what you consider to be 'ridiculous' fears for their unborn, but you might just have to honor them (put it this way, will you guarantee in writing with the full power and liability of your organization that no harm will occur? I didn't think so, but you kinda are asking them to make the same commitment (not $$, but their fetuses.)) If it helps, you might also want to speak to local OSHA people and/or a Department of Occupational Health/Public Health at a local Medical School, you might also try a worker's organization like 925 or SEIU (or some AFL/CIO local) to try to get a balanced view (OCAW might be good also, and of course orgs like NOW, as I said, to balance the view.) -Barry Shein, Boston University