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Radioactive sources are used for response checks in the field, functional checks, and calibration of instruments and monitors to traceable standards. To ensure the safety and welfare of all personnel it is important to maintain control of radioactive sources.

Internal dosimetry controls require the use of engineering controls to prevent the internal deposition of radioactive and non-radiological contaminants. However, when engineering and administrative controls are not available or feasible, respiratory protection may be necessary. The RCT should know and apply the considerations used in determining the respiratory protection equipment that is most appropriate for the job. Inappropriate use of or the use of the wrong respiratory protection equipment may result in undesirable health effects.

Before the proper internal exposure control methods can be determined for personnel, an estimate of the airborne radioactivity concentration must be obtained. Additionally, airborne radioactivity measurements are necessary to ensure that the control measures assigned are effective and continue to be effective.

Contamination control is probably one of the most difficult and challenging tasks the Radiological Control Technician will encounter.

This lesson will introduce the types of instruments used to measure external and internal radiation to people. Dosimetry is the quantitative assessment of radiation received by the human body. There are several types of dosimeters in use worldwide. This material is valuable to all radiological control personnel since dosimeters are the only direct method to measure and document personnel radiation exposure and ensure regulatory compliance with applicable limits.

Radiological sample analysis involves observation of a random process, one that may or may not occur, and estimation of the amount of radioactive material present based on that observation. All over the country radiological control personnel are using the activity measurements to make decisions that may affect the health and safety of workers at those facilities and their surrounding environments.

Good communication skills are essential to an RCT. Each RCT should develop an ability to communicate using both verbal and non-verbal media. This skill will ensure important information is transmitted to the proper individuals in a clear and concise manner.

A good Radiological Control Program must have a sound documentation process. RCTs are involved daily in creating records through surveys, RWPs, and procedures that give a history of actual conditions and operations.

In all aspects of radiological control, a knowledge of the characteristic and magnitude of the radiation field is essential in evaluating the degree of radiological hazard present. Radiation itself can not be detected directly. Because of this, radiation detection is accomplished by analysis of the effects produced by the radiation as it interacts in a material. Numerous different methods of accomplishing this analysis have been developed and implemented with varying degrees of success. Several of these have found extensive application in radiological control.

Radiological control involves the protection of mankind and his environment from the harmful effects of exposure to radiation or radioactive materials. The tasks that make up the responsibilities of the RCT include those actions used to minimize the potential exposure of workers and include efforts at reduction of both internal and external exposures. This lesson is designed to familiarize the technician with those actions necessary to minimize the entry of radioactive materials into the body and the basis for those actions.