what safety measures are used by people using radioactive materials?

Question

how are they handled, what is done to ensure these people are not exposedto an unacceptable risk.

Answer 1

Hi. Some materials can be safely handled with just a radiation suit while others (like radioactive cobalt) should be in a thick lead container. Powders are tougher since even a microscopic amount of some materials will emit alpha particles for years and damage surrounding cells.

Answer 2

Time
Distance
Shielding

Those are the 3 basic rules to minimize exposure and reduce risk to accetable levels.
Time: work quickly, minimize your time to the exposure
Distance: Work in zones that are a relative safe distance from the source. Use the proper handling tools.
Shielding: Use shielding materials to reduce exposure and radiation levels.

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Answer 3

there is no sure fire protection from radiation there are measures of reducing exposure such as thick rubber gloves and nomax suits the most effective material for reducing the amount of exposure is lead, because of its density it takes longer for the radiation to travel through it as well as breaking its source life down dramatically in most x-ray equipment a colbolt or iridium based source is use and if youve ever had an x-ray you notice the radiographer covers you with a vest or something that has lead plates in it then stands in another room where the walls generally have lead in them as well, open field radiographers such as individuals that do ndt (non distructive testing) such as using iridium source of 120life to 18life shooting xrays of pipe welds and such use a 50foot crank to expose the source and retract it they also have dosometers and film badges that gauge their rate of exposure daily any exposure of 6rekens or more over a steady time frame will prove to cause irreversable damage the old saying that radiation makes yu steril is true enough but youll be dead from it long before your sterile ...hope this helped

Answer 4

Work with alpha/beta emitters or requires use of a glove box and If these also emit gamma the there is no defence except wrist film monitoring and/or where possible remote or robot handling together, where appropriate,with lead shielding.
Radiography needs lead shielding and,in particular,limitation of time,film badge monitoring,and most important staying as far away from the business end as possible.

Answer 5

they wear badges

or they glow in the dark

(you must have seen the measures on TV ....the long rubber gloves that are sealed to a glass or plastic chamber that has negative pressure. Or the full anti -radiation suits with visors and boots)

Meryl Streep was in a film about radiation in a firm that was a bit lax (she was a shop steward as I recall .....easy to get someone's badge fogged)

Answer 6

The last answerer is correct - increase distance between source and worker and use suitable sheilding. There is a third method - minimize exposure time.

Answer 7

Keep a minimum distance and use radioactive shields.

Answer 8

hope they never live near me