Regional Basic Professional Training Course in Korea

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2. Radiation Protection
maintain for inspection, air kerma records for any person holding a patient. The ICRP
recommends that those persons holding a patient be a relative of an age greater than the
normal reproductive age, that they wear protective gloves and aprons, and ensure, as far
as it is practical, that no part of the body, even if covered, be in the path of the useful
beam.
When it is necessary to be exposed to radiation, a good rule of thumb is to develop
efficient working habits and techniques. This measure applies particularly to radionuclide
work and to fluoroscopy. For example, when the Mo‐ 99m Tc generator is eluted in a
nuclear medical laboratory, it should be done skillfully, so that the person performing the
elution has the shortest possible probability of being irradiated. The same applies to
chemical preparations containing radionuclides, and it also applies to the preparation and
administration to patients of radioactive materials. Similar situations could be cited for
persons working in nuclear power plants where radioactive solid as well as gaseous
wastes must be handled.
The less time spent in actual handling of radioactive material, the better. This rule is true
even when such other protective methods as distance and shielding are used. The best
exposure is no exposure. This same principle of skillful technique applies to fluoroscopy;
the shorter the time during which the X‐ray beam is turned on, the better. Thus the
importance of respecting the ICRP principle “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA)
is evident. One effective method to help achieve this is to practice new protocols before
using any actual radiation.
2.8.1. Distance
The most effective means of protection from ionizing radiation is a wise use of distance.