RADIATION PROTECTON

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A national infrastructure for radiation safety is essential to protect people from the harmful effects of radiation. IAEA’s Radiation Safety Information Management System (RASIMS) enables Member States to assess how closely their infrastructures for radiation safety are aligned with IAEA Safety Standards’ recommendations and requirements.

RASIMS is a password-protected, role-based system that allows users to see only their own national information. The information is entered by RASIMS counterparts in Member States and is then endorsed by the nationally appointed RASIMS coordinator, before being reviewed by an IAEA technical officer.

To ensure that all aspects of radiation, transport and waste safety are covered in a comprehensive and consistent manner, the information in RASIMS is grouped into Thematic Safety Areas (TSAs) that are derived from the IAEA’s Safety Standards. These include:

  • Regulatory Infrastructure (TSA 1)
  • Occupational Radiation Protection (TSA 2)
  • Radiation Protection in Medical Exposure (TSA 3)
  • Public and Environmental Radiation Protection (TSA 4)
  • Education and Training in Radiation Protection (TSA 6)
  • Transport Safety (TSA 7)

Information about Emergency Preparedness and Response (TSA 5) is collected via the EPR Information Management System (EPRIMS).

The information in RASIMS is reviewed by the IAEA during the development, approval and implementation of its technical cooperation projects. This helps to ensure that technical assistance is provided where it is really needed, and that the national radiation safety infrastructure is in line with IAEA Safety Standards prior to the procurement of any radiation sources.

For these reasons it is important that Member States ensure that their information in RASIMS is technically accurate, comprehensive and up to date. This is a key responsibility of the nationally appointed RASIMS coordinator.

Exposure situations

The ICRP recognises planned, emergency, and existing exposure situations, as described below;

 Planned exposure: Where radiological protection can be planned in advance, before exposures occur, and where the magnitude and extent of the exposures can be reasonably predicted. These are such as in occupational exposure situations, where it is necessary for personnel to work in a known radiation environment.

Emergency exposure: Unexpected situations that may require urgent protective actions. This would be such as an emergency nuclear event.

Existing exposure: "Being those that already exist when a decision on control has to be taken”. These can be such as from naturally occurring radioactive materials which exist in the environment.

Basic safety factors

For external radiation exposure hazards, the basic protection measures are associated with

  • Time
  • Distance
  • Shielding

TIME

  • The simplest method for protection from ionizing radiation is to spend as little time as possible in the vicinity of radiation source.
  • This is applicable even when other protection methods are adopted.

DISTANCE

  • Doubling the distance between the person and the source helps to reduce the exposure to a quarter of its original value.
  • Maintaining a safe distance is important when working near inadequately shielded sources of radiation.

SHIELDING

  • The more mass that is placed between a source and a person, the less radiation the person will receive.
  • Transparent plates of thick plastic or aluminium is used for shielding beta particles.
  • Gamma rays can be attenuated by using lead shields or concrete.

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