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| Jim Emms Presents ALARA & Radiation Safety |
Environmental Health & Safety Center
Radiation Safety Division
515-2894
What is ALARA ?
ALARA is an acronym for As Low As Reasonably
Achievable. This is a radiation safety principle for
minimizing radiation doses and releases of radioactive
materials by employing all reasonable methods.
ALARA is not only a sound safety principle, but is a
regulatory requirement for all radiation safety programs.
What is the basis for ALARA ?
Current radiation safety philosophy is based on the
conservative assumption that radiation dose and its
biological effects on living tissues are modeled by a
relationship known as the “Linear Hypothesis”.
The assertion is that every radiation dose of any
magnitude can produce some level of detrimental effects
which may be manifested as an increased risk of genetic
mutations and cancer. Thus, the NCSU radiation safety
program attempts to lower doses received by radiation
workers by utilizing practical, cost effective measures.
How is ALARA Implemented ?
An effective ALARA program is only possible when a
commitment to safety is made by all those involved. This
includes the Radiation Safety Division staff, the
Radiation Safety Committee, research faculty and all
radiation workers. The NCSU Radiation Safety
Manual provides the guidelines for the responsibilities
and good practices which are consistent with both the
ALARA concept and the regulatory requirements of the
North Carolina Administrative Code (Title 15A Chapter
11). These guidelines and regulations require not only
adherence to legal dose limits for regulatory compliance,
but also ALARA investigation dose levels which serve
as alert points for initiating a review of the work
practices of a radiation worker.
