5.4.7

Safety Precautions

Test yourself

Ionising Radiation - Safety Precautions

Ionising radiation can damage cells, cause mutations that lead to cancer and possibly organ failure. Because of this, we should follow safety precautions to reduce our exposure to radioactive materials.

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Storage

  • Radioactive sources (materials) should be stored in lead-lined boxes and locked in steel cabinets away from people.
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Handling

  • Radioactive sources (materials) should not be handled directly and should only be used for the shortest time possible.
  • We should use rubber gloves when handling and wash our hands thoroughly after use.
  • We should use tongs to handle sources or radiation.
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Usage

  • We should not eat or drink when using a radioactive source.
  • Sources should be kept at arm’s length and we should not put them in our pockets.
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Reduced exposure

  • We should minimise our exposure to sources, use shielding and maximise the distance between the user and the source.

Jump to other topics

1Motion, Forces & Energy

1.1Physical Quantities & Measurement Techniques

1.2Motion

1.3Mass & Weight

1.4Density

1.5Forces: Effects of Forces

1.6Forces: Turning Effects of Forces

1.7Forces: Centre of Gravity

1.8Momentum

1.9Energy, Work, & Power: Energy

1.10Energy, Work & Power: Work

1.11Energy, Work & Power: Energy Resources

1.12Energy, Work & Power: Power

1.13Pressure

2Thermal Physics

3Waves

4Electricity & Magnetism

4.1Simple Phenomena of Magnetism

4.2Electrical Quantities: Electric Charge

4.3Electrical Quantities: Electric Current

4.4Electromotive Force & Potential Difference

4.5Electrical Quantities: Resistance

4.6Electrical Energy & Electrical Power

4.7Electric Circuits: Circuit Diagrams & Components

4.8Electric Circuits: Series & Parallel Circuits

4.9Electric Circuits: Action & Use

4.10Electrical Safety

4.11Electromagnetic Effects: Electromagnetic Induction

4.12Electromagnetic Effects: The A.C. Generator

4.13Magnetic Effect of a Current

4.14Force on a Current-Carrying Conductor

4.15Electromagnetic Effects: The D.C. Motor

4.16Electromagnetic Effects: The Transformer

5Nuclear Physics

6Space Physics

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