Ionizing radiation and protection against them. Occupational Safety and Health

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
Free library / Occupational Safety and Health

Ionizing radiation and protection against them. Occupational Safety and Health

Occupational Safety and Health

Occupational Safety and Health / Legislative basis for labor protection

ionizing radiation called streams of corpuscles (elementary particles) and streams of photons (quanta of the electromagnetic field), which, when moving through a substance, ionize its atoms and molecules.

The best known are alpha particles (which are helium nuclei and consisting of two protons and two neutrons), beta particles (which are an electron) and gamma radiation (which are quanta of an electromagnetic field of a certain frequency range).

The dualism "particle - wave" of the quantum world allows us to talk about alpha radiation and beta radiation. X-ray, bremsstrahlung and cosmic radiation, flows of protons, neutrons and positrons are also ionizing.

The biological effect of ionizing radiation lies in the fact that the energy absorbed by the substance of the radiation passing through it is spent on breaking the chemical bonds of atoms and molecules, which disrupts the normal functioning of living tissue cells.

The following effects of exposure to ionizing radiation on the human body are distinguished: somatic - acute radiation sickness, chronic radiation sickness, local radiation injuries; somato-stochastic (malignant tumors, fetal developmental disorders, reduced life expectancy) and genetic (gene mutations, chromosomal aberrations).

If the sources of radioactive radiation are outside the human body and thus the person is irradiated from the outside, then they speak of external exposure.

If radioactive substances in the air, food, water enter the human body, then the sources of radioactive radiation are inside the body and indicate internal exposure.

Ensuring radiation safety requires a complex of diverse protective measures, depending on the specific conditions of work with sources of ionizing radiation, as well as on the type of source.

All work with sources of radioactive radiation is divided into two types: work with sealed sources of ionizing radiation and work with open radioactive sources.

Sealed sources of ionizing radiation are any sources, the device of which excludes the ingress of radioactive substances into the air of the working area. Open sources of ionizing radiation can pollute the air of the working area.

The main hazard of sealed sources of ionizing radiation is external exposure, determined by the type of radiation, the activity of the source, the density of the radiation flux and the radiation dose generated by it and the absorbed dose.

Basic principles of ensuring radiation safety: reducing the power of sources to the minimum values (protection by quantity); reducing the time of work with sources (protection by time); increasing the distance from the source to the workers (protection by distance) and shielding radiation sources with materials that absorb ionizing radiation (protection by screens).

Quantity protection means working with minimal amounts of radioactive substances, as a result, the radiation power is proportionally reduced.

Time protection is based on reducing the time of work with the source, which makes it possible to reduce personnel exposure doses.

Distance protection is a fairly simple and reliable way to protect against radiation. This is due to the ability of radiation to lose its energy in interactions with matter: the greater the distance from the source, the more processes of interaction of radiation with atoms and molecules, which ultimately leads to a decrease in the radiation dose of personnel.

Screen protection - the most effective way to protect the manufacture of screens, various materials are used, and their thickness is determined by the radiation power.

According to their purpose, protective screens are conditionally divided into five groups:

1) protective screens-containers in which radioactive preparations are placed; they are widely used in the transportation of radioactive substances and radiation sources;

2) protective screens for equipment; in this case, all working equipment is completely surrounded by screens when the radioactive preparation is in the working position or when high (or accelerating) voltage is turned on at the source of ionizing radiation;

3) mobile protective screens; this type of protective screens is used to protect the workplace in various parts of the working area;

4) protective screens mounted as part of building structures (walls, floors and ceilings, special doors, etc.); this type of protective screens is intended to protect the premises in which the personnel is constantly located and the surrounding area;

5) screens of personal protective equipment (plexiglass shield, sight glasses of pneumosuits, lead gloves, etc.).

Protection from open sources of ionizing radiation provides for both protection from external exposure and protection of personnel from internal exposure associated with the possible penetration of radioactive substances into the body through the respiratory, digestive or skin.

All types of work with open sources of ionizing radiation are divided into three classes. The higher the class of work performed, the more stringent the hygienic requirements for protecting personnel from internal overexposure.

The ways to protect personnel are as follows:

1) the use of the principles of protection applied when working with radiation sources in a closed form;

2) sealing of production equipment in order to isolate processes that can be sources of radioactive substances entering the environment;

3) planning activities. The layout of the premises implies maximum isolation of work with radioactive substances from other premises and areas with a different functional purpose. Premises for class I work should be located in separate buildings or an isolated part of the building with a separate entrance. Premises for class II work should be located in isolation from other premises; class III work can be carried out in separate specially designated rooms;

4) the use of sanitary and hygienic devices and equipment, the use of special protective materials;

5) use of personal protective equipment for personnel. All personal protective equipment used to work with open sources are divided into five types: overalls, safety shoes, respiratory protection, insulating suits, additional protective equipment;

6) compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. These rules provide for personal requirements for those working with sources of ionizing radiation: prohibition of smoking in the working area, thorough cleaning (decontamination) of the skin after work is completed, dosimetric control of contamination of overalls, footwear and skin. All these measures presuppose the exclusion of the possibility of the penetration of radioactive substances into the body.

Permissible levels of exposure to ionizing radiation on humans are regulated by SP 2.6.1.758-99 "Radiation Safety Standards - 99" (NRB-99).

Requirements for the protection of people from the radiation effects of sources of ionizing radiation are determined by the document SP 2.6.1.799-99

"Basic Sanitary Rules for Ensuring Radiation Safety - 99" (OSPORB-99).

Technical requirements for protection against ionizing radiation are contained in GOST 12.4.120-83 "Means of collective protection against ionizing radiation. General technical requirements".

Authors: Fainburg G.Z., Ovsyankin A.D., Potemkin V.I.

We recommend interesting articles Section Occupational Safety and Health:

▪ Instruction on labor protection for the electromechanic of automatic telephone exchange

▪ The main types of labor protection documents

▪ Issuing additional power

See other articles Section Occupational Safety and Health.

Read and write useful comments on this article.

<< Back

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

Machine for thinning flowers in gardens 02.05.2024

In modern agriculture, technological progress is developing aimed at increasing the efficiency of plant care processes. The innovative Florix flower thinning machine was presented in Italy, designed to optimize the harvesting stage. This tool is equipped with mobile arms, allowing it to be easily adapted to the needs of the garden. The operator can adjust the speed of the thin wires by controlling them from the tractor cab using a joystick. This approach significantly increases the efficiency of the flower thinning process, providing the possibility of individual adjustment to the specific conditions of the garden, as well as the variety and type of fruit grown in it. After testing the Florix machine for two years on various types of fruit, the results were very encouraging. Farmers such as Filiberto Montanari, who has used a Florix machine for several years, have reported a significant reduction in the time and labor required to thin flowers. ... >>

Advanced Infrared Microscope 02.05.2024

Microscopes play an important role in scientific research, allowing scientists to delve into structures and processes invisible to the eye. However, various microscopy methods have their limitations, and among them was the limitation of resolution when using the infrared range. But the latest achievements of Japanese researchers from the University of Tokyo open up new prospects for studying the microworld. Scientists from the University of Tokyo have unveiled a new microscope that will revolutionize the capabilities of infrared microscopy. This advanced instrument allows you to see the internal structures of living bacteria with amazing clarity on the nanometer scale. Typically, mid-infrared microscopes are limited by low resolution, but the latest development from Japanese researchers overcomes these limitations. According to scientists, the developed microscope allows creating images with a resolution of up to 120 nanometers, which is 30 times higher than the resolution of traditional microscopes. ... >>

Air trap for insects 01.05.2024

Agriculture is one of the key sectors of the economy, and pest control is an integral part of this process. A team of scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI), Shimla, has come up with an innovative solution to this problem - a wind-powered insect air trap. This device addresses the shortcomings of traditional pest control methods by providing real-time insect population data. The trap is powered entirely by wind energy, making it an environmentally friendly solution that requires no power. Its unique design allows monitoring of both harmful and beneficial insects, providing a complete overview of the population in any agricultural area. “By assessing target pests at the right time, we can take necessary measures to control both pests and diseases,” says Kapil ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Bearings that do not require lubrication 26.05.2015

The Japanese company Coo Space has proposed a new technology for creating rolling bearings that can reduce friction tenfold and dispense with the use of lubrication. The development is called Autonomous Decentralized Bearing (ADB).

Rolling bearings consist of two rings, rolling elements (balls or rollers) and a cage. The latter separates the rolling elements from each other, keeps them at an equal distance and directs the movement. On the inner and outer rings there are grooves - raceways.

There are rolling bearings made without a cage. They have a larger number of rolling elements and a higher load capacity. However, the limiting speeds of full complement bearings are much lower due to the increased torque resistance.

Autonomous Decentralized Bearings do not have a cage. In this case, to keep the balls at an equal distance from each other, small recesses in the surface of the ring serve: thanks to these recesses, the rolling elements periodically slow down and accelerate. This ensures efficient operation even without lubricant.

While bearings of a new type exist in the form of prototypes. But Coo Space is already negotiating with market participants to commercialize the proposed technology.

Other interesting news:

▪ Atomic television

▪ A hungry microbe will not touch

▪ Hybrid motorcycle with car

▪ Artificial nervous system that reacts to light

▪ Washing machine from Porsche

News feed of science and technology, new electronics

Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:

▪ site section Voltage converters, rectifiers, inverters. Article selection

▪ article To hear the difference. The art of audio

▪ Article Who was granted defense counsel in court and who did not receive them in accordance with the Decree on the reorganization of the Revolutionary Tribunal adopted by the Convention on June 10, 1794 (22 Prairial of the XNUMXnd year of the Republic)? Detailed answer

▪ article Organization of workflow on labor protection

▪ article Oil varnishes. Simple recipes and tips

▪ article Who is older? Focus secret. Focus Secret

Leave your comment on this article:

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews