Ionizing radiation sources may be found in a wide range of occupational settings, including health care facilities, research institutions, nuclear reactors and their support facilities, nuclear weapon production facilities, and other various manufacturing settings, just to name a few, according to OSHA. These radiation sources can pose a considerable health risk to affected workers if not properly controlled. Ionizing radiation is addressed in specific OSHA standards for the general industry, shipyard employment, and the construction industry.
According to the USDA Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Coordination (OHSEC), Radiation Safety Division (RSD) website, radiation safety standards and policies are set by a consensus among national and international scientific organizations, such as the Health Physics Society, the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP), and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The risks associated with low-level radiation exposure are conservatively calculated to be proportional to those observed with high-level exposure. These calculated risks are compared to other known occupational and environmental hazards, and standards are established to control and limit potential harmful radiation effects. In the U.S., the Nuclear Regulatory Commission sets regulatory dose limits for the public and occupationally exposed workers.1