A Guide to Radiation Safety

What is Radiation Safety?

Radiation safety is a combination of safe practices and precautionary measures put in place to promote safety when working with or near radiation. Also called radioactive safety, radiation safety follows the guiding principle ALARA or “As Low as Reasonably Achievable.”

What is Radiation?

In layman’s terms, radiation is energy given off by matter that travels in the form of waves, rays, or other particles. Numerous branches of scientific studies such as physics, biology, chemistry, and epidemiology have concepts in connection to this type of energy, each with different definitions and areas of focus. In physics, the focus is on the energy it emits which is similar to the basic definition, while for biology, it’s the possible interaction of the ionizing radiation energy with molecules of the cells.

The most common form of radiating energy is electromagnetic radiation. This classification includes radio waves, light, sound, and x-rays. Natural radiation can also occur in the environment, even the earth is a source of terrestrial radiation.

In people’s perception, radiation, especially nuclear radiation, is harmful. History has taught mankind the destruction and long-term effects caused by radiation—from atomic bombs used during the second world war to the Chernobyl accident caused by nuclear power plant failure. Following this, the US Center of Disease Control has defined ALARA to mean that you should avoid any radioactive item if you don’t need it, even in small doses. The ALARA radiation safety principle is to minimize radiation dosage and control the amount of radioactive materials in the environment to ensure workplace safety.

Other organizations that promote this principle and other similar safety standards include the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), US Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). National Radiation Action Month also promotes this.

Uses

Radiation, when properly regulated and controlled, can greatly help different industries with their work and in improving human life. Some of the most common uses for radiation include the following:

Medicine

Radiation is utilized in many modern treatments and equipment. The most common use for it is radiation therapy or radiotherapy, which is a cancer treatment that kills cancer cells and reduces tumors. Here, normal cells can heal and repair themselves, while cancer cells will not be able to, thus reducing the sizes of tumors.

Electricity and electronics

Everyday objects such as personal electronics emit low amounts of radiation. The types of radiation can be electromagnetic, radio waves or other generally non-harmful radiation energy that can help devices function more efficiently. Electronics such as cell phones, microwave, and radio will not harm a person who uses them regularly. However, some devices need extra precautions, such as medical equipments.

Agriculture

In small, regulated doses, radiation can greatly help in the growth and management of agricultural products and farms. Often, radiation is found in certain fertilizers that have small traces of radiation in them to ensure that crops grow well and strong, or in insect repellents.

Archeology

Archeologists often use radiocarbon dating in determining the ages and lifespans of fossils and other ancient artifacts. Carbon dating is the most known manner of dating that most know of, as carbon is found in all living things, and when a plant or animal dies, it no longer takes in new carbon. The carbon-14 that it accumulated throughout its life begins the process of radioactive decay. This is what is measured and taken into consideration when estimating the age of an artifact, as after a few years, an old object has a lower percent of radioactivity than a newer object.

Risks

Although people’s bodies are naturally radioactive, radiation safety and risks should still be considered. Some of the most common sources of risk involving radiation include the workplace and one’s environment.

Workplace

Certain jobs pose higher radiation risks to people than others, such as nuclear workers, medical workers including dentists, pilots, and radiologists to name a few. Specifically, an estimated total of 23 million workers are exposed to artificial and natural radiation globally.

Decades of research has concluded that these workers have a higher probability of radiation-related risks, but not necessarily lead to sickness. While our bodies have the ability to repair damage cells, over time if exposure becomes longer and greater, it can result in many acute injuries such as burns, acute radiation syndrome, and long term health problems such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Environment

Nuclear reactors, plants, hospitals, mining, and other facilities generate radioactive waste, and living near them or working in these places can greatly affect one’s health. These establishments should follow protocols and regulations to ensure that these are disposed of properly and minimize environmental impact. It is recommended to isolate and contain these waste away from the environment.

In some cases, nuclear waste can also be recycled and reused. This is usually done by nuclear energy firms that use uranium as a fuel to create electricity. Another option is to burn the radioactive waste at the end of its useful life.

What are the 3 Principles of Radiation Safety?

Radiation safety measures such as conducting safety inspections help ensure that critical radiation safety precautions are in place to reduce the risk of overexposure. There should be visible warning signs, contamination surveys conducted, and device tests for all radiation-producing equipment. All workers must be trained to limit time of exposure, use radiation shields, and increase the distance of contact with radioactive devices and materials.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), radiation exposure risks can be lowered by following the three principles of radiation safety, which are the following:

• Time: This refers to the amount of time spent near the radioactive source. Tasks or work activities revolving around the radioactive source should be done quickly as possible, to reduce spending time around the radioactive area more than necessary.

• Distance: The greater the distance one has from the radioactive source, the lesser exposure and dose of radiation workers will be exposed to, increasing safety.

• Shielding: This refers to putting something in between the radiation source and the person involved. The effectiveness of shields will vary depending on the level of radionuclides the radiation source is emitting.

10 Tips for Radiation Safety

Everyone must take radiation overexposure seriously. Hence, preventive measures and rules must be strictly followed to avoid critical health conditions. Here are 10 rules to remember when working with radiation:

• Acquire adequate training to better understand the nature of radiation hazards.

• Reduce handling time of radioactive materials and equipment.

• Be mindful of your distance from sources of radiation. Increase distance as much as possible.

• Use proper shielding for the type of radiation. Purchase from reputable brands and marketplaces to ensure the best quality for your needs.

• Isolate or contain harmful radioactive materials properly.

• Armor yourself with appropriate protective clothing and dosimeters.

• Conduct contamination surveys in the work area.

• Do not eat, drink, smoke, or apply cosmetics in an area where unsealed radioactive substances are handled.

• Observe proper radioactive waste disposal.

• Conduct regular radiation safety self-inspections with checklists.