Is it Safe to Be Around Sources of Radiation? How Can You Work Safely Around Radiation or Contamination?

How Can You Work Safely Around Radiation or Contamination?

You can work safely around radiation and/or contamination by following a few simple precautions:

1. Use time, distance, shielding, and containment to reduce exposure.
    
2. Wear dosimeters (e.g., film or TLD badges) if issued.
    
3. Avoid contact with the contamination.
    
4. Wear protective clothing that, if contaminated, can be removed.
    
5. Wash with nonabrasive soap and water any part of the body that may have come in contact with the contamination.
    
6. Assume that all materials, equipment, and personnel that came in contact with the contamination are contaminated. Radiological monitoring is recommended before leaving the scene.
    

Is it Safe to Be Around Sources of Radiation?

A single high-level radiation exposure (i.e., greater than 10,000 mrem) delivered to the whole body over a very short period of time may have potential health risks. From follow-up of the atomic bomb survivors, we know acutely delivered very high radiation doses can increase the occurrence of certain kinds of disease (e.g., cancer) and possibly negative genetic effects. To protect the public and radiation workers (and environment) from the potential effects of chronic low-level exposure (i.e., less than 10,000 mrem), the current radiation safety practice is to prudently assume similar adverse effects are possible with low-level protracted exposure to radiation. Thus, the risks associated with low-level medical, occupational, and environmental radiation exposure are conservatively calculated to be proportional to those observed with high-level exposure. These calculated risks are compared to other known occupational and environmental hazards, and appropriate safety standards and policies have been established by international and national radiation protection organizations (e.g., International Commission on Radiological Protection and National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements) to control and limit potential harmful radiation effects.

Both public and occupational regulatory dose limits are set by federal agencies (i.e., Environmental Protection Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Department of Energy) and state agencies (e.g., agreement states) to limit cancer risk. Other radiation dose limits are applied to limit other potential biological effects with workers' skin and lens of the eye.

Annual Radiation Dose Limits	Agency
Radiation Worker - 5,000 mrem	(NRC, "occupationally" exposed)
General Public - 100 mrem	(NRC, member of the public)
General Public - 25 mrem	(NRC, D&D all pathways)
General Public - 10 mrem	(EPA, air pathway)
General Public - 4 mrem	(EPA, drinking-water pathway)