TOPIC 1: Time

Let’s explore radiation protection techniques.

We’ll start with TIME.

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Think of a camping trip and sitting around the fire.  Put your hands close to the fire.  It gets hot … fast.  Back up just a little bit and it cools down quickly.  Your marshmallow falls close to the flames and you quickly grab it.  A little warm but it didn’t hurt. This is the same with radiation. We cannot see, taste, touch or smell it, but the radioactive source is emitting energy.

Just like a fire, one thing we can do to minimize the dose from the source is to keep the time spent near the source to a minimum.  Do what has to be done and then move on.  Keeping doses as low as you can is as much your responsibility as it is the responsibility of the Radiation Safety Officer or the company.

Remember:

Do not loiter near radioactive material.

The time spent in a radiation field is directly proportional to dose.

Since dose is directly proportional to time spent in the radiation field, it is a good idea to know what you are going to do near the source so you don’t linger longer than necessary.

If you are struggling with this concept, think of dose rate like water flowing out of a spigot.  You have a total dose you are able to receive without being harmed.  Just like a bucket that is being filled.  The higher the water flow out of the spigot, the faster the bucket fills.  Likewise, the higher the dose rate, the faster you will get your maximum dose.