Commercial Dosimetry measures the potential for radiation in occupational settings. There are a number of different kinds of dosimeters referred to as “X-Ray Badges”. Film and “thermo luminescent” or TLD badge holders contain filters (used to differentiate the type of radiation - x-ray, beta, gamma, and neutron) and a small packet of film or crystals.

As radiation passes through the badge, the filters absorb some of the radiation; the remaining unabsorbed radiation passes through the film, darkening it or through the crystals, which trap light. For Film, a filter pattern is formed much like the image of you is formed on the film during an x-ray); for TLD, a glow curve is captured as the crystals are heated (much like a bell shaped curve). The data are used to calculate the amount of radiation received by the worker while on the job. This becomes their occupational dose.

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Employers utilizing sources of radiation in their business can only legally do so if they are in possession of a license permitting them to safely operate their sources. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) states in the Code of Federal Regulations (10CFR20) that “each licensee shall develop, document, and implement a radiation protection commensurate with the scope and extent of licensed activities sufficient to ensure compliance by using, to the extent practical, procedures and engineering controls based upon sound radiation protection principles to achieve occupational doses and doses to members of the public that are as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA).

The licensee shall control the occupational dose to individual adults. Occupational dose means the dose received by an individual in the course of employment in which the individual's assigned duties involve exposure to radiation or to radioactive material from licensed and unlicensed sources of radiation, whether in the possession of the licensee or other person.

Each licensee is required to monitor occupational exposure to radiation from licensed and unlicensed radiation sources under the control of the licensee and shall supply and require the use of individual monitoring devices for Adults who are likely to receive, in 1 year from sources external to the body, a dose in excess of 10% of the limits. The current limit is 5000 millirem, so any adult likely to receive 500 millirem per year must have their occupational dose monitored. The limits fall to 500 millirem for minors or pregnant women.

Please view our blog for more information on this subject at; http://blog.radetco.com/faq-2-does-everyone-need-a-badge

The NRC requires that all personnel dosimeters that require processing to determine the radiation dose and that are used by licensees to comply with 10CFR20 must be processed and evaluated by a dosimetry processor holding current personnel dosimetry accreditation from the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

NVLAP provides an unbiased third-party evaluation and recognition of performance, as well as expert technical guidance to upgrade laboratory performance. NVLAP Accreditation signifies that a laboratory has demonstrated that it operates in accordance with NVLAP management and technical requirements pertaining the quality systems, personnel, accommodation and environment; test and calibration methods, equipment, measurement traceability, sampling, handling of test and calibration items, and test and calibration reports.

1) To add a Wearer: a) When in MyAccount, click on the “Wear Groups” tab, which is the third tab from the left. b) Select the group you wish to add the new wearer in by clicking on the Group Number c) Select “Add Wearer.” d) Enter the data and click “Save to Finish.” 2) To add a badge: a) For the new wearer just added, select which type of badge and wear location you want and click “Add This Badge.” b) From the selectable options for when you receive this badge, please select the one which you need. c) Once finished click “OK.” Just by reading this, you’ve taken your first step into a more effective use of RDC’s MyAccount. We’re hopeful this marks only the beginning of your time with MyAccount.