Do you need to wear a dosimeter badge? All users of medical X-ray equipment, such as C-arms, fluoro units, and therapy units, must wear badges. Those who use large quantities of radioactive materials will also be provided with badges. But what is the proper way to put on a whole body dosimeter?Radioactive workers who are issued full-body badges should wear them on the neck, mid-torso, or waist with the tag facing out. This is done to ensure that the badge is in the area most likely to receive exposure.
Dosimeters are required to be issued if a person is likely to receive more than 10% of the maximum allowable dose. However, it's important to note that dosimeters do not protect or shield anyone from radiation exposure; they simply report the amount of radiation (if any) the user received. With respect to X-ray dosimetry, most states violate federal regulations which require that monitoring of individual employees be necessary if the employee is likely to receive more than 10% of the allowable radiation limit (5 rem), which is 0.5 rem. If a person's pocket camera is found to be out of scale, or if their electronic personal dosimeter reads more than 2 millisieverts (200 millirems), and the possibility of radiation exposure as a cause cannot be ruled out, the personnel dosimeter of the person requiring processing must be sent for processing and evaluation within 24 hours. If two clearly designated dosimeters (inside and outside) are assigned to a worker wearing an apron, one can be used inside the apron. Pocket dosimeters should range from zero to 2 millisieverts (200 millirems) and must be recharged at the start of each shift.
Badges must be changed every month or quarterly, depending on the specifications of the contract with the radiation dosimetry company. Regulations for monitoring occupational exposure to x-ray radiation, also known as dosimetry, arise directly from federal regulations, 10 CFR 20, which are the standards of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Dental centers are generally not required to provide dosimeters to staff, as exposures are very low and beam sizes are very small. The American Dental Association recommends that all pregnant employees notify their employer as soon as they become aware of the pregnancy and that they use an X-ray dosimetry plate throughout their pregnancy. If the dosimeter is placed under the apron, it will be protected and will not record the dose on exposed parts of the body.
