When must dosimeters be worn?

• A. Must be worn when entering a radiation work center.
• B. Must be worn only during 8-hour shifts.
• C. Must be worn only when dose rates exceed threshold.
• D. Must be worn always, regardless of location.

Answer: (A)

Wearing a dosimeter is about capturing the radiation dose you receive while you’re in a radiation area, so the moment you enter the radiation work center is when the monitoring should begin. This ensures any exposure accumulated in that controlled zone is recorded from the start of your work there, not delayed or skipped.

It’s not limited to a fixed shift length, and exposure can occur at low dose rates over time, so waiting for a threshold to be exceeded would miss part of the dose. Wearing only when dose rates exceed a threshold misses cumulative exposure, and wearing all the time regardless of location isn’t aligned with standard practice where the potential for exposure exists mainly in the controlled area.