III. Some Aspects of Radiation Hygiene

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Abstract
Radiation hygiene is defined in the “Planning Guide for Radiologic Installations” (1953) as “the art and science of protecting human beings from injury by radiation”. Since economic, as well as certain practical considerations prevent us from pursuing the art of protection against ionizing radiations to the limit of avoiding any additional exposure other than that received from cosmic and terrestrial sources (“natural” radiation), another line of approach has to be made. The science of radiation protection indicates that a practical level of radiation, to which a person can be exposed throughout his working lifetime, can be chosen so that the risk involved is small compared with many of the ordinary risks which are readily accepted by man. The art of radiation protection then seeks to evolve suitable measures which will ensure that the doses to which radiological workers are exposed are kept below the “permissible” level. Radiation tests by means of photographic-film badges or ionization dosemeters carried by persons engaged in the various fields of radiological work generally indicate that the doses received by workers in X-ray diagnostic departments are among the highest observed. As this is causing some concern amongst diagnostic workers, Mr. S. B. Osborn and I were invited by the Congress Committee to prepare a review of the present position for this meeting.

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