Ionactive blog

An Ionactive radiation protection blog of related views, articles, examples of work and news

  • Inverse square law - Radiation protection widget

    Published: Mar 16, 2024

      Tags:
    • Inverse square law
    • Ionactive
    • Radiation protection widget
    • 1/r2
    • Dose
    • Dose Rate
    • Point source
    • Ionising Radiation
    • Intensity
    • Simulation
    • Demonstration
    • Interactive

    A short set of articles introducing new Ionactive radiation protection training resource as widgets. The widgets are small interactive teaching aides that will feature on our public website and also extensively in our on line radiation protection training service. First up is the inverse square law.

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  • Radiation accident or radiation incident? When are IRR17 contingency plans appropriate?

    Published: Feb 04, 2024

      Tags:
    • Radiation accident
    • Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017
    • IRR17
    • Contingency plan
    • Contingency Planning
    • RIDDOR 2013

    A few blog posts back we discussed radiation accidents in industrial radiography. We provided examples where immediate action was required to prevent or reduce exposures to ionising radiation. Where a radiation accident is reasonably foreseeable, IRR17 requires contingency plans to be available and rehearsed. There seems to be an expectation by many employers (and regulators) that local rules will always have contingency plans (or a reference to them). The potential for a radiation accident is determined by your radiation risk assessment. Are radiation users providing contingency plans regardless of the risk, and the definition of a radiation accident? Let's discuss.

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  • Drop and Run - Radioactive Cobalt-60 (Co-60) Source

    Published: Jan 23, 2024

      Tags:
    • Drop and run
    • Co-60
    • Cobalt-60
    • Radioactive
    • Radiation Protection
    • Radiation safety
    • Deterministic effects
    • Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS)
    • Radiation injury
    • Inverse square law
    • HASS source
    • High Activity Sealed Source

    Drop and run (from a radioactive Co-60 source) has featured in a number of blogs and articles over the years, and more recently in some online videos from content creators. From a shock perspective many of these paint a pretty grim picture (and this is not without merit). However, third or 4th hand information tends to muddy the waters and inaccuracy creeps in. This article provides some radiation safety data and comment on the principles of drop and run, and in particular some analysis of the infamous Co-60 source picture which has found itself onto t-shirts and cushions!

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  • RPA bodies recognised by HSE (IRR17). Is Ionactive an RPA body? No! Do we need to be? No!

    Published: Jan 12, 2024

      Tags:
    • RPA
    • Radiation Protection Adviser
    • RPA Body
    • HSE
    • IRR17
    • Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017
    • RPA2000

    The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has a system to recognise RPA Bodies (Radiation Protection Adviser Bodies). Those recognised will appear on a 'List of RPA bodies recognised by HSE under IRR17'. Ionactive Consulting Limited is not a RPA body and is not on this list. Does this matter? What does being on the list mean? If you are looking for a RPA should you only choose from this list? This brief article explores RPA Bodies in the UK.

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  • For action: Notification: registration - request for further information (re-register your work with radiation generators)

    Published: Dec 15, 2023

      Tags:
    • HSE
    • Registration
    • Re-registration
    • radiation generators
    • RADAN
    • x-ray systems
    • Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017
    • IRR17

    A quick review with comment on the new process for re-registering work with radiation generators which has been live since October 3rd, 2023. Generally the process seems to have started satisfactorily, but there have been some quirks which we will outline.

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  • Potential occupational, non-occupational and accidental radiation exposures in industrial radiography using radioactive sources

    Published: Dec 12, 2023

      Tags:
    • Industrial Radiography
    • NDT
    • Open site radiography
    • Enclosure radiography
    • Radiation Protection
    • Radiation safety
    • TVT
    • HVT
    • Ir-192
    • Iridium-192
    • Co-60
    • Cobalt-60
    • Se-75
    • Selenium-75
    • Collimator
    • Controlled Area
    • Small Controlled Area Radiography
    • SCAR
    • Lead shielding blanket
    • Tungsten shielding blanket
    • Bismuth shielding blanket
    • Instantaneous Dose Rate
    • Time average dose rate
    • Instantaneous dose rate (IDR)
    • Flash dose rate
    • Skyshine
    • Radiation scatter
    • Radiation incident
    • Radiation accident
    • Occupational radiation exposure
    • Nonoccupational radiation exposure

    Our previous blog article looked at the radiation safety aspects of high specification shielded x-ray room (active signage, search and lockup, interlocked doors etc) and argued that what you do in the room determines if a registration or consent is required from HSE (UK Health & Safety Executive). This was despite the fact that the actual radiation risks in the room were similar. However, the most significant radiation exposure risks during industrial radiography, and what most certainly pushes such work into the consent level category, is the use of radioactive sources. X-ray systems are easy to turn on and off, and locking off removes the radiation risk completely. Not so with radioactive sources which come with far more complicated radiation protection challenges – you can shield them, but the radiation hazard remains, they cannot be ‘switched off’ in the same way that x-rays can. So let us look at the potential occupational, non-occupational and accidental radiation exposures in industrial radiography using radioactive sources.

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The definition of 'safe' is not strictly an engineering term; it's a societal term. Does it mean absolutely no loss of life? Does it mean absolutely no contamination with radiation? What exactly does 'safe' mean?

– Henry Petroski -