Radiation Safety and ALARA Considerations for the 21st Century
Author: HPS Midyear 2001ISBN: 9781930524026 ISBN10: 1930524021
Published: 2001 | 280 pp |
OUT OF PRINT
Interactions | April 2001
"This volume is divided into several sections: ALARA, Personnel Surveillance Applications, Automated Applications, Orphan Source, Changes in Medical Application, Regulatory Considerations, RSO Section, Decommissioning, Other/Power Reactor Innovations, and Posters. The presentation of each paper is professional and printing is of high quality. A great deal of information is made available on a wide range of subjects, although these are mostly related to the power reactor or industrial uses of radioactivity.
"The approach in most of these papers involves a traditional attitude to radiation (for example the paper on Very High Background Areas of Ramsar, where the conclusion states: 'In spite of the lack of any data on harmful effects of natural radiation in HBRAs or Ramsar...the unnecessary irradiation of the inhabitants should be decreased.
"One paper ALARA: Great Philosophy but too Subjective for Regulation, addresses the inconsistency of the approach to radiation risk, by comparing with other risks in society. It concludes that 'ALARA is overly subjective and should not be a regulation.' The inclusion of this paper gives hope that in time, the radiation protection community will move to a more balanced approach to radiation, with a resultant decrease in unnecessary and very often very significant expenditures to reduce inconsequential doses, and the resultant improvement in efficiency and economy."
"I would recommend this volume to radiation safety specialists in nuclear power and research facilities, as a snapshot of current approaches and techniques. However, the medical RSOs would find that there is little of direct relevance to their field."
Christopher S. Davey, Provincial RSO
Alberta Cancer Board Radiation Safety Office