Radiation Monitoring Badges
Overview
Radiation monitoring devices are provided by the Radiation Safety Office to measure an
individual's radiation exposure from X-ray or radioactive sources. The standard
monitoring device is a clip-on dosimeter badge or ring badge bearing the individuals
name & date of the monitoring period.
A radiation dosimeter badge does not protect the worker from radiation, but detects and
measures radiation to which you have been exposed. The badge will detect high energy
beta, gamma or x-ray radiation. These dosimeters cannot detect low energy beta
radiation from some isotopes including tritium (H-3).
In order to minimize your exposure to radioactive materials or radiation- producing
devices, always practice ALARA measures which include minimizing time near a
source, maximize distance and shielding between you and the source.
Monitoring Requirements
State of Tennessee requires monitoring of individuals' radiation exposure when:
 It is expected that a person will receive a dose in excess of 10% of any of the
following annual occupational dose limits:
Annual Occupational Dose Limits for Adults
Description
Dose Limit
Whole Body
5,000 mrem/yr
Skin
50,000 mrem/yr
Extremity
50,000 mrem/yr
Lens of the eye
15,000 mrem/yr
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Are less than 18 years of age and are likely to receive a radiation dose in any
calendar quarter in excess of 1 percent of the occupational dose limits listed
above.
Are radiation workers and have declared a pregnancy or planned pregnancy.
Enter a High Radiation Area (exposure to greater than 100 millirem in any one
hour).
Operate analytical X-ray devices (ring and whole body badges).
Meet special criteria as assessed by the Radiation Safety Officer.
How to Obtain a Monitoring Badge
Authorized Users must fill out the on-line dosimeter request form located on the
Radiation Safety web page when requesting a badge for radiation workers. The
following information is required: name, date of birth, department, authorized users
name, gender and hire date. Extremity monitoring badges (rings) are available in
large or small sizes for the right or left hand, which must be indicated on the form.
http://www.etsu.edu/ospa/rso/forms/dosimeterRequest.html
Badge Exchange and Processing
Badges are exchanged quarterly (except for Declared Pregnant Workers whose
badges are exchanged monthly). The departmental dosimetry contact person shall:
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Distribute new quarterly badges no later than the first day of the new calendar
quarter.
Collect quarterly badges at the end of the calendar quarter (badges must be
returned to the Radiation Safety Department within two weeks).
Snap the old badge out of the gray holder and return just the badge itself. Keep the
gray holder so that you nap the new badge into it.
Guidelines for Wearing and Storing Monitoring Badges
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Never share your badges or wear another person’s badges. Each badge is
intended to be worn by only the designated person.
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Do not intentionally expose badges to radiation. Intentional tampering with
badges is a very serious matter.
No matter how curious you are, do not wear your badges when you receive a
medical x-ray or other medical radiation treatment. Your badges are intended to
document occupational dose, not medical dose.
Store your badges in a safe place at work, rather than at home. Be sure to
store badges away from sources of radiation. Be careful to consider all
sources of radiation. For example, if you store your badge clipped to your
lab coat, make sure that your lab coat (or any other lab coat near it) is not
contaminated.
Wear your body badge on the part of the body between your neck and
waist most likely to be exposed to the greatest amount of radiation. Wear
it so that the name tag faces toward the source of radiation.
Your ring badge should be worn so that the label is facing out from the
side of the hand most likely to receive a radiation exposure. In most
cases, such as when performing radioactive labeling experiments, this
means that the label will face out from the palm side of your hand. To
avoid contaminating your ring badge when using open sources, wear your
ring under the glove. Additionally, take care not to dispose of the ring in
the trash when you remove your gloves.
If you lose your badge notify the Radiation Safety Officer to obtain a
replacement badge as soon as possible.
Occasionally check your badge for contamination.
Emergency Processing
If you believe that you may have received an unusual dose (if you may have placed
your hand in an x-ray beam, for example), notify Radiation Safety immediately. Your
badges will be returned for rapid emergency processing.
Radiation Monitoring Reports and How to Read Them
After you return your monitoring badges, the badges are sent out to the badge service
company for processing. Radiation Safety receives the dose reports several weeks after
the end of a monitoring period and reviews the dose reports. Each report includes the
name, monitoring period date, dose (millirem) for the immediate past period, current
calendar quarter and calendar year. A copy of the report is forwarded to the
departmental radiation safety representative who is responsible for issuing the
monitoring report to the radiation users. A summary of your badge results can also be
obtained by contacting the Radiation Safety Officer.
East Tennessee State University, Radiation Safety has established investigational
levels at doses that are 10% of the state dose limits. If a dose is reported that exceeds
ETSU’s investigational level, Radiation Safety will contact you to determine whether the
reported dose is likely to be accurate and to investigate the causes of the dose in an
effort to minimize dose in the future.
In the case of body badges, doses are reported as deep or shallow or as doses to the
lens of the eye. Deep dose is due to penetrating radiations such as x- or gamma
radiation. Deep doses are applied against the whole body dose limit. Shallow dose is
due to less penetrating radiations such as beta radiation and low energy x-rays. Shallow
doses are applied against the skin dose limit. Dose to the lens of the eyes is due to an
intermediate range of radiations and energies and is applied against the lens of the eye
dose limit. In the case of ring badges, dose is only reported as shallow dose and is
applied against the extremities dose limit.
Doses are reported in millirem. The minimum reportable dose for body badges is 1
millirem for x-ray and gamma rays or 10 millirem for energetic beta radiation. Ring
badges are 30 millirem for x-rays & gamma rays or 40 millrem for energetic beta
radiation. If a dose of "M" is reported, the total dose received was minimal, i.e., less
than the minimum reportable dose.
Contact EHS if you change your name, if your name is misspelled, or if any other
information on the dose report is incorrect.
Pregnant Employee - Fetal Dose Policy
ETSU’s fetal dose policy incorporates safety information and radiation dose guidelines
for ensuring safe radiation limits for the embryo/fetus of occupationally exposed
employees. Pregnant radiation workers must declare in writing that she is pregnant.
The Declaration of Pregnancy Form, located on the radiation safety web page must be
submitted to the Radiation Safety Department as soon as possible after learning of their
pregnancy.
A potentially harmful situation arises when a pregnant worker is exposed to radiation.
Exposure of such a worker to ionizing radiation from either external or internal sources
would also involve exposure of the embryo or fetus. A number of studies have indicated
that the embryo or fetus is more sensitive than an adult, particularly during the first three
months after conception, when a woman may not be aware that she is pregnant.
Federal and state regulations require that special precautions be taken to limit exposure
to radiation sources when an occupationally exposed woman could be pregnant.
The current maximum permissible radiation exposure is 500 millirem for the duration of
the gestation period, and the monthly exposure should be limited to 50 millirem .