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Radiation Safety Standards

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Clinical Radiotherapy Physics

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Abstract

Ionizing radiation is a beneficial agent that contributes to improved health care. However, unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation can be harmful [1, 2] and should be avoided. Because penetrating radiations cannot be contained entirely, some irradiation of staff members, visitors, and the public is bound to occur incidental to any use of radiation. All radiation work should be carried out in a preplanned and controlled manner so that the exposure to the workers and persons in and near sites of radiation use is kept as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) and does not exceed the recommended limits. In the U.S., guidelines to ensure the radiation safety of radiation and non-radiation workers and members of the public are provided by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) [3]. Recommendations are also provided by the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) [4, 5], the International Atomic Energy Agency [6], and the European Atomic Energy Community [7]. In some geographic regions, governmental regulatory agencies formulate the safety limits for radiation exposure and mandate that radiation users adhere to them. A radiotherapy department should plan and conduct its activities in such a manner that the safety recommendations (or regulations) are followed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Valley Radiation Oncology, 1301 S 7th Avenue, Suite 400, Phoenix, Arizona, 85007, USA

    Subramania Jayaraman Ph.D. (Chief Medical Physicist)

  2. University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 5750, S Kennwood Avenue

    Lawrence H. Lanzl Ph.D. (Professor Eremitus Medical Physics)

  3. Chicago, Illinois, 60637, USA

    Lawrence H. Lanzl Ph.D. (Professor Eremitus Medical Physics)

Authors
  1. Subramania Jayaraman Ph.D.
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  2. Lawrence H. Lanzl Ph.D.
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Jayaraman, S., Lanzl, L.H. (2004). Radiation Safety Standards. In: Clinical Radiotherapy Physics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18549-6_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18549-6_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-62155-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-18549-6

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