PRACTICAL RADIATION TECHNICAL MANUAL

1 PRACTICALRADIATIONTECHNICALMANUALPERSONA L PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTPERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTPRACTICAL RADIATION TECHNICAL MANUALPERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTINTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCYVIENNA, 2004 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTIAEA-PRTM-5 IAEA, 2004 Permission to reproduce or translate the informationin this publication may be obtained by writing to the International Atomic Energy Agency,Wagramer Strasse 5, Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, by the IAEA in ViennaApril 2004 FOREWORDO ccupational exposure to ionizing RADIATION can occur in a range of industries,such as mining and milling; medical institutions; educational and researchestablishments; and nuclear fuel facilities. Adequate RADIATION protection ofworkers is essential for the safe and acceptable use of RADIATION , radioactivematerials and nuclear on meeting the requirements for occupational protection in accor-dance with the Basic Safety Standards for Protection against IonizingRadiation and for the Safety of RADIATION Sources (IAEA Safety Series ) is provided in three interrelated Safety Guides (IAEA Safety StandardsSeries No.)

2 , and ) covering the general aspects of occupa-tional RADIATION protection as well as the assessment of occupational expo-sure. These Safety Guides are in turn supplemented by Safety Reportsproviding PRACTICAL information and TECHNICAL details for a wide range ofpurposes, from methods for assessing intakes of radionuclides to optimizationof RADIATION protection in the control of occupational exposed workers need to have a basic awareness and under-standing of the risks posed by exposure to RADIATION and the measures formanaging these risks. To address this need, two series of publications, thePractical RADIATION Safety Manuals (PRSMs) and the PRACTICAL RadiationTechnical Manuals (PRTMs) were initiated in the 1990s.

3 The PRSMs coverdifferent fields of application and are aimed primarily at persons handling radi-ation sources on a daily basis. The PRTMs complement this series anddescribe a method or an issue related to different fields of application,primarily aiming at assisting persons who have a responsibility to provide thenecessary education and training locally in the value of these two series of publications was confirmed by a group ofexperts, including representatives of the International Labour Organization, in2000. The need for training the workers, to enable them to take part in deci-sions and their implementation in the workplace, was emphasized by theInternational Conference on Occupational RADIATION Protection, held inGeneva, Switzerland in PRACTICAL RADIATION TECHNICAL MANUAL was developed following recom-mendations of a TECHNICAL Committee meeting held in Vienna, Austria, inNovember 1994 on the development, management and operation of apersonal protective equipment system for use in radioactively contaminatedenvironments.

4 Major contributions to this PRTM were made by R. Wheelton,United 3 Restriction of exposure through the use of personal protective equipment4 5 Proper use of personal protective equipment6 7 System of personal protective equipment8 9 Aprons, gloves and other shields against penetrating radiations10 11 Laboratory and industrial suits to protect against radioactive contamination12 Guide for choosing protective suits13 14 Use of gloves for protection against radioactive contamination15 16 Use of footwear for protection against radioactive contamination17 18 Selection of respiratory protective equipment19 24 Use of respirators25 28 Use of breathing equipment29 Other hazards 30 Warning signs and notices31 BibliographyIAEA PRACTICAL RADIATION TECHNICAL MANUALPERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTThis PRACTICAL RADIATION TECHNICAL MANUAL is one of a series that has beendesigned to provide guidance on radiological protection for

5 Employers, radia-tion protection officers, managers and other technically competent personswho have responsibility for ensuring the safety of employees working withionizing RADIATION . The MANUAL may be used with the appropriate IAEAP ractical RADIATION Safety Manuals to provide training, instruction and infor-mation for all employees engaged in work with ionizing PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTI ntroductionPersonal protective equipment (PPE) includes clothing or other special equip-ment that is issued to individual workers to provide protection against actualor potential exposure to ionizing radiations. It is used to protect each workeragainst the prevailing risk of external or internal exposure in circumstances inwhich it is not reasonably practicable to provide complete protection bymeans of engineering controls or administrative methods.

6 Adequate personalprotection depends on PPE being correctly selected, fitted and training for the users and arrangements to monitor usage are alsonecessary to ensure that PPE provides the intended degree of MANUAL explains the principal types of PPE, including protective clothingand respiratory protective equipment (RPE). Examples of working proceduresare also described to indicate how PPE should be used within a safe systemof MANUAL will be of most benefit if it forms part of a more comprehensivetraining programme or is supplemented by the advice of a qualified expert inradiation protection. Some of the RPE described in this MANUAL should beused under the guidance of a qualified RESTRICTION OF EXPOSUREW orkers can be protected against ionizing radiations by using either one or acombination of the following means:(A) Engineering controls(B) Administrative methods(C) Personal protective equipment (PPE).

7 Whenever it is reasonably practicable, protection should be provided at thesource . This may involve selecting a radioactive substance of the most appro-priate activity and form for a specific application, such as using a source ofthe minimum activity necessary and in a physical form that is least likely tospill. The term also implies that priority should be given to using engineeringcontrols as a barrier around the source, automatically protecting workers inthe vicinity against external and/or internal exposure. The practice shouldpreferably be inherently safe by against external exposure may be achieved by using a combina-tion of shielding and distance.

8 Effective devices and warnings are needed toensure that the source remains shielded and/or that the correct distance ismaintained between the source and those who may potentially be exposed tothe RADIATION hazards. Protection against internal exposure is achieved bycontaining radioactive substances and/or preventing their dispersal, to avoidcausing contamination. Containment can be supplemented, if necessary, byfurther engineering controls such as extraction ventilation from a point (orpoints) close to where any dispersion is likely to occur. High efficiency partic-ulate air (HEPA) filters incorporated into the ventilation system will removeradioactive particulates from the extracted methods are less satisfactory than engineering controlsbecause their effectiveness relies on the co-operation and awareness of indi-vidual workers to restrict exposures.

9 For example, exposures might berestricted by limits on who may enter or on how long workers may remaininside controlled and supervised controls to contain radioactive tray is used to provide simple containment for minor spills and drips. A fume hoodis necessary to adequately contain vapours from volatile radioactive substances. Thefume hood must draw a sufficient draught of air to provide adequateengineering control. A glovebox is necessary to provide total containment during themanipulation of very hazardous materials such as fine powdered alpha USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTAs an administrative method to restrict exposure or, as a last line of defence,where neither engineering controls nor administrative methods are reason-ably practicable, workers should use PPE.

10 The use of PPE may be the onlymeans of controlling the exposure of workers involved in emergency opera-tions. PPE includes clothing or other special equipment that is issued toprotect each exposed worker. It is essential that all persons involved in themanagement and use of PPE are aware of its capabilities and limitations, inorder to ensure that an adequate, reliable and planned degree of personalprotection is PPE may be used to protect against external and internal clothing may be designed to shield large areas of the wearer s bodyor individual organs, such as the eyes, against external irradiation. However,protective clothing and equipment is more frequently used to prevent radioac-tive substances either making direct contact with or entering the body anddelivering internal protective equipment (RPE) is intended to prevent the inhalationof radioactive substances which would result in RADIATION doses to the lungsand other organs into which the substance(s) might ultimately pass or whichmight be irradiated by controls and PPE in support of engineering controls: The bench profile is designed to contain a spill and thelocation of the integral sink and the electrical socket minimizes the buildup ofradioactive controls.