Hospital workers sue over radiation exposure

Five hospital workers have sued their employer, claiming they experienced prolonged exposure to radiation from a CT scanner in the next room.

Five employees at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge in Oak Ridge, TN, have filed lawsuits against center operator Covenant Health, according to a report on WBIR.com.

The suits allege that the exposure to employees resulted from poor construction during a 2005 project. They claim the builder failed to install lead shielding in the walls adjacent to the scanner to prevent radiation leakage from the scanner room to the control room where the employees were located, WBIR.com reported. TEG Architects in Indiana, the main construction contractor, was also named in the suits.

The problem was discovered when CT scans became increasingly cloudy, according to the plaintiffs' attorney, John Agee.

A hospital spokesperson issued a statement saying that the hospital places a high priority on employee and public safety, and the facility has an ongoing radiation quality and compliance program with specific procedures to monitor safety.

The suits ask for compensation for medical screenings to monitor the employees for radiation-related health issues, as well as punitive damages, according to the WBIR.com report.