TSA admits bungling of airport body scanner radiation tests

[DainBramaged]

(if this is a dupe please lock it)

The Transportation Security Administration is reanalyzing the radiation levels of X-ray body scanners installed in airports nationwide, after testing produced dramatically higher-than-expected results.

The TSA, which has deployed at least 500 body scanners to at least 78 airports, said Tuesday the machines meet all safety standards and would remain in operation despite a “calculation error” in safety studies. The flawed results showed radiation levels 10 times higher than expected.

At least one flier group, the Association for Airline Passenger Rights, is urging the government to stop using the $180,000 machines that produce a virtual-nude image of the body until new tests are concluded in May.

“Airline passengers have enough concerns about flying—including numerous ones about how TSA conducts its haphazard security screenings—so it is TSA’s responsibility to ensure passengers are not being exposed to unhealthy amounts of radiation,” Brandon Macsata, executive director of the group, said in a statement.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/03/tsa-admits-bungling-of-airport-body-scanner-radiation-tests.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

[noamnety]

1. I'd like to know

why this was easy for DU to predict but the TSA seems not to have anticipated it.

[DeSwiss]

2. Here's why:

- K&R

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Isn't obvious that the government has been so deregulated that the

standards and reliability has gone down.

[cullen7282]

3. I never liked the idea

Exposing yourself to more radiation than was necessary always seemed stupid to me.

[crickets]

4. ...but the machines will remain in operation.

Good grief.

[liskddksil]

5. Just what we need - more radiation

with more and more spewing out of Japan, these airport scanners need to be decommissioned immediately.

[gristy]

7. "The flawed results showed radiation levels 10 times higher than expected."??

Seems the important result would be the unflawed one. Wouldn't it?

On further reading at the link in the OP, you can click through to this TSA link: http://www.tsa.gov/research/reading/xray_screening_technology_safety_reports.shtm , which has this section:

Evaluation of Contractor Testing Procedures
These reports confirm that each piece of technology reviewed meets all national safety standards. However, during TSA’s review of these reports, inaccuracies were identified in contractor reporting that affected the documentation of some of the test results. These inaccuracies included:

- Lack of notation for the latest calibration date for the machine being tested or the most recent calibration date noted had expired on survey meters
- Information missing regarding warning labels and required labels
- Calculation errors not impacting safety
- Missing survey point readings
- Inconsistent responses to survey questions
- No reading of background radiation noted
- Missing other non-measurement related information

I'm not sure how you get from this to the article at the OP's link. I get the impression that the actual radiation readings are 1/10 the reported radiation reading. But who knows...

[libodem]

8. Hate to say it

But I told you so. Poor frequent fliers. Bet there will be class action suits when passengers get cancers. I expect skin melenomas.

[Zanzoobar]

9. Does this really surprise anyone?

[mikeytherat]

10. But what of the DUers who told us we were stupid? That you get more radiation on the flight itself?

That we didn't know anything about these machines, and to quit spreading falsehoods?

mikey_the_rat

[DainBramaged]

12. Now if you're flying you DO get more radiation!!!

Makes us wonder about their true purpose here....

[arikara]

17. Those are the ones you put on ignore

better to trust in your instincts instead of the paid sock puppets that are proliferating over the internets.

[Pooka Fey]

11. Looks like I'll be submitting to the sexually abusive body probe

next time I fly. What a choice! Only in the "land of the free".

[dkf]

13. Ironic that while we are nervous about radiation from Japan, it's our government who is going to

Give us cancer.

[truebrit71]

14. And you think that either govt is being truthful about that..??

Not bloody likely...

[truebrit71]

15. Awesome! Finely tuned by people too stupid to work the fries station at McD's...

..who could have predicted this?? :sarcasm:

[DainBramaged]

16. You want radiation with your fries??

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :hi:

[krabigirl]

18. Omg. So glad I haven't flown since these scanners were put in place.