Appendix III: Unit Prefixes

An integral part of the Radiation Safety Program is the ALARA concept. ALARA stands for As Low As Reasonably Achievable. This concept means that exposure must be minimized for workers even when the dose is below the legal limit, provided the exposure reduction can be achieved without undue cost or inconvenience. For example: Two workers may receive the same radiation dose over the course of a year. If one of the workers is performing a duty in a high exposure area when the job can be performed elsewhere, the worker is not following ALARA. The goal of ALARA is to reduce exposure to personnel without adversely affecting the quality or cost of patient care.

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