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Worker radiation protection: what are your duties regarding staff monitoring?

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Medical radiation protection
Health

Medical worker radiation protection

LANDAUER® provides a range of dosimetry services to meet the specific needs of all the areas of the health sector:

  • In conventional radiology, a whole body dosimetric monitoring is needed. Due to its excellent energy response and angular response as from 15 keV IPLUS® is able to cover all applications of diagnostic radiology, including mammography.
  • In interventional radiology, doses can be specially important for extremities (ankle dosimeter and MONORING® dosimetric ring) and head (VISION® lens dosimeter ).
  • In nuclear medicine, it is important to ensure special monitoring for extremities, including for injection sites where the index and the middle finger are almost in direct contact with the injected radioisotope. A VISION dosimeter for lens monitoring can also be necessary.
  • In radiotherapy, energies generated by the LINAC are usually high. Due to its excellent energy response up to Emean of 6 MeV (i.e. Emax =18 MeV), IPLUS, provides an accurate and reliable dose measurement. For some applications such as neutron therapy or proton therapy, primary and secondary neutrons are generated, thus imposing a neutron dosimetric monitoring.

Nuclear radiation protection
Nuclear

LANDAUER provides a range of dosimetry services to meet the specific needs of all the areas of the nuclear sector:

  • In nuclear power plants or nuclear propulsion, a whole body dosimetric monitoring is recommended. Measurement of photon, beta and neutron radiation is often required for workers entering a controlled area. Due to its robustness and versatility, IPLUS can be used to measure the entire photon (for ex. N16 at 6.6 MeV), beta (Sr90/Y90 at Emax = 2 MeV) and neutron spectrum.
  • For some maintenance operations, the monitoring of extremities (dosimetric ring MONORING for photon and beta radiation or IPLUS wrist for photon, beta and neutron radiation) is required. The VISION lens dosimeter is increasingly required as a result of the lowering of dose limits for lenses in some operations such as the replacement or the maintenance of steam generators.
Nuclear worker radiation protection 
  • In the fuel cycle, IPLUS is consistently used for every exposed worker. The IPLUS wrist or MONORING dosimeter are used in operations such as handling within glove boxes, possibly supplemented by a VISION dosimeter depending on the results of the workstation study.
  • Moreover, the Criticality dosimeter may be required in basic nuclear installations manufacturing or reprocessing fuels with criticality risks.

industry radiation protection
Industry

Industry worker radiation protection

Many areas of industry use radiation sources:

  • Non-destructive testing (ex. radiography) allowing control of the metal or solder component of a structure. This technique commonly uses Iridium-192 or Cobalt-60 sources with anactivity able to reach a few dozen Terabecquerels
  • Measurement of thickness, density, humidity or composition of different materials and different surfaces with the use of nuclear gauges. Radioactive sources like Cesium-137, Americium-241, Beryllium (neutron emitter), Radium-226 or Cobalt 60 are usually used. These techniques are used in geology, particularly for oil exploration or public works (construction of roads and buildings)
  • Transport of radioactive material
  • Radiopharmaceutical industry usually producing unsealed radioactive sources for use in nuclear medicine for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes
  • Safety inspection of individuals and goods, particularly in critical infrastructures
  • Sterilization of mail or food for conservation usually using Cobalt-60 sources and involving food irradiation doses ranging from 30 Gy to 50 kGy
  • Industry standards

Given the range of applications, we offer our expertise to advise you on the appropriate dosimetric monitoring. The nature of the radiation source, the isotope, the activity and the state are important parameters.

Research radiation protection
Research and Education

This area covers research activities in pharmaceutical laboratories, universities, research organisations (for ex. INSERM, CNRS, INRA). The radiation sources used can emit different types of radiation (X, gamma, beta and neutron) and a workstation study is often required to define the appropriate dosimetric monitoring.

LANDAUER guides you through this process.

Research radiation protection

Dentist, veterinarians and x-ray center workers radiation protection
Dentists, veterinarians, X-ray centers

Dentist, veterinarians and x-ray center radiation protection

The French Labour Code requires the implementation of monitoring of workers’ exposure to ionizing radiation, both employed and freelance, through the use of personal dosimeters whenever they are likely to be exposed.

Dental radiology and veterinary radiology are subject to the same radiation protection requirements as other radiology procedures:

In 2016, more than 50,000 workers have been monitored for dental activities. More than 200 among them have received doses higher than 1 mSv.

As for veterinary activities, 36 out of 20,000 workers received doses higher than 1 mSv in the same year.

The percentage of workers exposed to doses higher than 1 mSv, although low, shows however that abnormal exposure cannot be excluded. The dosimeter offers guarantees to employers and employees while providing them with peace of mind, thus enabling them to work in a safe environment.

Our DOSIBOX® pack makes mandatory monitoring easier while saving time. It combines personal monitoring for you and your team, ambient dosimetry and control dosimetry in accordance with the requirements of existing standards and regulations.

The monitoring can be complemented by ring and lens dosimetric monitoring, including in veterinary radiology. It is indeed often necessary to hold the animal during scanning. The proximity of the X-ray generator highly increases exposure, the fingers sometimes directly placed in the beam.

Radiation protection
Other areas

The following activities can also require the use of a dosimeter:

  • Real estate: real estate experts using lead-based paint analyzers. This type of analyzer helps to determine a risk of exposure to lead, more commonly referred to as Lead diagnosis, mandatory in housing. A Cobalt-57 or Cadmium-109 source of several hundred MBq is used. The use of a MONORING dosimetric ring is recommended on the hand holding the device.
  • Use of an X-ray fluorescence metal analyzer: the use of a MONORING dosimetric ring is recommended on the hand holding the device.
  • Crisis management (firemen and civil security).
  • Internal and external inspection/quality control in nuclear facilities and health care facilities.