HPS N43.3 PDF

This standard establishes guidance for the design and use of installations that use x-ray and sealed gamma-ray sources up to 10 MeV for non-medical purposes. Its main objectives are to keep the exposure of persons to radiation to levels as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA), and to ensure that no one receives greater than the maximum permissible dose equivalent. These objectives may be achieved by the use of firm management controls, safe operating procedures, appropriate equipment, a comprehensive maintenance and surveillance program, adequate shielding, distance, or by limiting personnel exposure time. Annexes contain technical information useful for design of radiation shielding.

Those recommendations containing the word “shall” identify requirements that are necessary to meet the standards of protection of this document. Those using the word “should” indicate advisory recommendations that are to be applied when practical.

In this standard, SI units are shown for non-radiation quantities and the conventional special units are used for radiation quantities. To convert conventional units to SI units, the following factors may be used:

1 rad = 0.01 gray (Gy)

1 rem = 0.01 sievert (Sv)

1 roentgen (R) = 2.58 x 10-4 coulomb per kilogram

1 curie (Ci) = 3.7 x 1010 becquerel (Bq)