Radiation Exposure Dosimetry

Radiation workers may be required to wear a radiation dosimeter badge. This is necessary to assess personal exposure to radiation, demonstrate that exposures to not exceed regulatory limits, and to promote efforts to maintain exposures as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).

Radiation workers with the potential to exceed 10% of the annual dose limit must wear a dosimeter badge. This may include individuals working with x-rays, radioactive materials, or other devices that emit x-ray radiation. A dosimeter helps ensure that employees maintain exposure that is ALARA.

Your supervisor must notify the Radiation Safety Officer (radsafety@uthsc.edu) by completing a Personal Dosimeter Request Form at the time you are assigned to a job task involving the potential for exposure to radiation. The Radiation Safety Officer will issue a radiation dosimeter to you. 

If you have not been issued a badge please complete a Personal Dosimeter Request Form and email it to the Radiation Safety Officer. The Radiation Safety Officer will reach out to you for additional information or process your badge request. You must notify the Radiation Safety Officer if you lose your badge so a new badge can be obtained for you.

Badges must be worn whenever working with or near x-ray emitting devices or radioactive materials. Areas where radioactive materials must be kept secure from non-radiation workers and must have the required signage for the materials present in that location. 

Badges will need to be exchanged at a selected reporting interval, typically monthly, or quarterly. Previously worn dosimeters must be submitted to the Radiation Safety Officer at the time that new dosimeters are issued.

Dosimeters should be worn to best reflect the amount of radiation an employee receives. Badges are worn on the torso to accurately report the amount of exposure received to the body. Employees working in environments where they are likely to receive elevated exposure to their extremities should be issued a ring dosimeter by the Radiation Safety Officer. Fetal monitors should be worn as close to the embryo or fetus as possible to best reflect the exposure to the embryo or fetus. This dosimeter does not replace the requirement of a radiation dosimeter badge for the pregnant radiation worker. 

The Radiation Safety Officer will notify workers whenever their dose exceeds 10% of the annual dose limit (500 mrem). You may also request a copy of your dose history report by emailing the Radiation Safety Officer. Workers who have left UTHSC can obtain their dose history for their period of employment at UTHSC by requesting this from the Radiation Safety Officer. Likewise, with your permission future employers may obtain your dose history by emailing radsafety@uthsc.edu.

All badges should be stored away from radioactive materials, or areas with elevated radiation levels to prevent exposing badges to radiation while not in use. Dosimeters are shipped to the university along with a control badge. The control badge detects radiation received in while dosimeters are in transit. This transit dose and background exposure is subtracted from your badges before your personal dose is calculated and occupational exposure can be properly reported.

While a designated storage place should help prevent loss of a badge, should an employee lose their dosimeter at any time during the reading period, they should immediately request a replacement badge by emailing the Radiation Safety Officer.

Pregnant radiation workers who choose to declare their pregnancy will be issued a fetal dosimeter. These individuals have a fetal dose limit 500 mrem during the pregnancy. Pregnant workers may declare their pregnancy to the Radiation Safety Officer by emailing radsafety@uthsc.edu. A fetal monitor is no longer required once the radiation worker declares that they are no longer pregnant.