Industrial Radiography Operations
What this domain tests
Industrial Radiography Operations tests the practical control of a radiography site: planning, barriers, signs, communication, source movement, dosimetry and stop-work authority. The exam favors the sequence of controls, not just the final dose number.
Core rules
- Establish the controlled area before the source is exposed; use measured dose rates and physical barriers. Warning signs and locks are not optional.
- The radiographer assistant must be able to stop the exposure and communicate with the radiographer; lone working with high-activity sources is normally prohibited.
- Exposures should be collimated and kept as short as reasonably practicable. Use a survey meter after every source movement.
- A source must be visually and mechanically confirmed in the shielded position before the projector is moved or stored.
- Work permits, pre-job briefings and boundary checks are part of the operation, not paperwork to complete afterward.
Worked example
A source produces a calculated 900 µSv/h at 1 m. The boundary criterion is 7.5 µSv/h. Distance needed: sqrt(900 divided by 7.5) = 11 m. If the available space ends at 8 m, distance alone is insufficient; add shielding or reduce the source or use a collimator, then re-survey. The reasoning shows why a calculated distance must be verified with a meter before barriers are accepted.
Traps
Setting barriers by habit rather than measurement; forgetting scatter behind the source; moving the projector before the source is confirmed shielded; allowing untrained observers inside the barrier; using a collimator without checking its attachment.