How is dose important in radiation protection?
Our system of radiation protection is based on the idea that limiting the equivalent dose received by workers (estimated during a calendar year) will eliminate the possibilities of workers receiving doses that can cause immediately observable effects (radiation sickness, skin effects, etc.) and will maintain their risks of longer-term effects to levels that are similar to risks we accept in other industries and activities of life (longer-term effects include cancer, hereditary effects, and so on—see the section on “Radiation Effects” at http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/cat25.html). These doses may be received from exposures to sources outside of the body (external dose) or radioactive material which may enter the body by being inhaled or swallowed (internal dose). We set lower limits for radiation dose for minors, members of the public, and pregnant women. Much more detail can be found on our Web site on Policy, Guidelines, and Regulations (http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/cat3
