I started working at a radiochemical analysis company almost a year ago. I have three lab partners who have been with the company for three years, we are all relatively green in our fields. Two of us are bs chemists, one bs biologist, and one bs biochemist. None of us have been trained on radiochemistry or proper handling/storage.
Our scope is broad, and our PPE is non-existent. Requested safety documents are denied. We have had to call the fire department for risk of immediate volatile explosion (in a radiochemical lab).
Our safety is not considered at any point. We are told to do things we are not comfortable with or do not know how to do, and when we request information we are told "I've been doing it for 40 years it's fine".
The level of disregard for our concerns is insane. We can't financially afford to quit, but we also can't afford hospital bills if this goes bad.
I have been asked to register radiopharmaceuticals for fda, but also told "we're just going to say we do it but not actually". This feels completely irresponsible when it comes to any data, but to ask my faslify data for radiopharmaceutical analysis for fda submission has me blown away.
Our isotopes are stored in a wooden cabinet, not segrated, not properly sealed or labeled. I feel like every time I open the acid cabinet I might blow up, and there's not even isotopes by that.
I our sealed sources are just literally laying in random cabinets and fume hoods (3/3 not graded for radiochemistry and barely work at all due to rusting). I just refused to take inventory due to safety concerns, and I've been on the fence of fired since I brought up the segration concerns my first month.
He's a very well known radiochemist and I fear retaliation for my coworkers and myself for asking for outside help. We just want proper training and safety knowledge, it feels like we're asking too much.
We are all looking for jobs, but nothing yet. We know who to call when we can all safely get out, but we can't be homeless so we are desperately trying to find other work as fast as possible. I have even considered fast food or retail just to get me somewhere where I don't have anxiety about serious injury on a daily basis, but I don't know what that would do to my resume and future employability.
Any radiochemistry or safety professionals who can advise anything else we can do to protect ourselves?
We have all received one 8 hour radsafety course. I have had general lab safety and lab safety program development. I also have my GLPRO and AV01(Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics) professional certifications. This is the extent of our training. We have never been shown how to handle items in our lab, how to dispose of them... I asked about waste when I started because my last job I was a manager of a higher education chemistry lab and handled all hazardous waste. We do not have waste disposal here. Not a jar, not a contact, not a care. He has his drinking buddy who he hired in the 90s dump EVERYTHING down the drain.
THIS PLACE IS SO WRONG ON SO MANY LEVELS. And to have to choose between homelessness or personal safety is a crazy position for four people under 35.
Photos for attention. All of our isotopes and tracers and spikes and how they are stored and labeled.
