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The Ten Principles of Radiation Protection

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sameer ramzan
The Ten Principles of Radiation Protection
To achieve the goals of radiation protection, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) summarized Fundamental Safety Principles and presented them in 2006.

In the USA, there a lot of regulations regarding nuclear and radiation protection. However, those all at least contain 10 basic principles:

#1 Responsibility for radiation protection

The sole responsibility for protection against ionizing radiation lies with the person or organization responsible for the operation of systems and activities that give rise to radiation risks.

Every facility that operates an X-ray machine must have sufficient personnel with appropriate specialist knowledge. The person responsible for radiation protection or one or more radiation protection officers must have a corresponding qualification, which must be updated continuously. X-ray examinations may be carried out technically by all other employees in a medical or dental practice if they are under the direct supervision and responsibility of the competent person and if they also have knowledge of radiation protection.

#2 Government oversight

There must be a practical legal and regulatory framework for radiation protection and safety, including an independent and competent regulatory agency, which the government must create and maintain.

#3 Direction and management of security

Effective leadership and quality-assured management of protection against radiation risks must be pursued by organizations affected by radiation risks or operating systems and activities that give rise to radiation risks.

#4 Necessity and justification

There must be no radiation risks without a predominantly positive benefit resulting from that place.

#5 Optimization of radiation protection

All radiation exposure or radiation risks must be kept as low as reasonably possible (ALARA principle). In Europe, The EURATOM contract also regulates the handling of radioactive substances and is the basis for national legal regulations in the member states. On this basis, the European Commission elaborates guidelines specific to radiation protection, which, after being heard by the European Parliament and determined by the Council of Ministers, bind all member states and be implemented in national law. These guidelines mainly include the recommendations and findings of international organizations.

#6 Limitation and monitoring of individual dose limits

The radiation dose to individuals should not exceed the respective conditions' limit values. This is the functional area of radiation protection. 

#7 Protection of current and future generations

Radiation protection extends over the present and future generations as well as the present and future environment. 

Radiation protection is divided into three basic protective measures:

  • Protection from external radiation
  • Protection against contamination
  • Protection against incorporation these are divided into
  • Inhalation 
  • Ingestion (food consumption)
  • Absorption through the skin (e.g., open wounds)

#8 Accident prevention

A nuclear or radiological accident must be prevented by all reasonable means, and or the effects of such must be reduced. This principle mainly applies to the safety of nuclear facilities but also applies to medical radiological sources.

#9 Preparation and implementation of emergency measures

Preparations must be made to trigger and implement emergency protection measures. 

#10 Protection against existing or unregulated radiation risks

Protection against or actions to reduce existing or unregulated (natural) radiation risks must be responsible and must be optimized.

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