Both public and occupational regulatory dose limits are set by federal (i.e., Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRC]) and state agencies to limit cancer risk from chronic exposures found in a typical work setting (e.g., nuclear medicine). Occupational workers, or “radiation workers” are considered to be those who work in an environment with work related radiation exposures such as a technologist in nuclear medicine or an interventional radiologist.

A single high-level radiation exposure (i.e., greater than 100 mSv) delivered to the whole body over a very short period of time may have potential health risks. From follow-up studies of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, we know acute exposure to very high radiation doses can increase the occurrence of cancer. To protect radiation workers from the unknown but potential effects of chronic low-level exposure (i.e., less than 100 mSv), the current radiation safety practice is to assume similar adverse effects are possible with low-level protracted exposure to radiation. Thus, the risks associated with occupational radiation exposures are calculated to be proportional to those observed with high-level exposure. These calculated risks are compared to other known occupational and environmental hazards, and appropriate safety standards and policies have been established by international and national radiation protection organizations (e.g., International Commission on Radiological Protection and National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements) to control and limit the potential harmful radiation effects of radiation.

To ensure that no employee exceeds regulatorily determined dose limits, Stanford Health Physics monitors occupational exposures through the Dosimetry Program (See Section 4 Personnel Monitoring). Maximum annual permissible occupational dose limits are shown below.