Answer to Question #1279 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Q

I would like to know what is the basis of personnel monitoring? What type of sources and what type of workload requires personnel monitoring? What is the basis of quarterly and monthly services of personnel monitoring?

A

Personnel monitoring is required if a radiation worker is likely to exceed 10% of a regulatory dose limit (for example, 5,000 mrem per year for the whole-body total effect dose equivalent, or TEDE). The sources of radiation (for example, x ray or radiative materials) and workload of any given individual worker should be analyzed by a professional health physicist or medical physicist for the need of personnel monitoring. Extremity or other dosimeters (for example, lens of the eye) may be needed if the radiation field is not uniform. Even if the individual might not exceed 10% of a particular dose limit, the employer still may choose to monitor for various reasons. If the likelihood of radiation exposure is low, it is often more economical (that is, actual cost and administrative burden) to perform monitoring with quarterly issued dosimeters. David J. Allard, CHP