Safety from External Radiation Hazards

A thin sheet of paper is sufficient to stop alpha particles, making alpha radiation not a shielding problem.

In beta shielding, the production of secondary x-rays is caused by the acceleration of the charged beta particles in the shield.

Gamma and x-rays are attenuated linearly when they pass through materials, following an exponential decay law.

The Half-Value Layer (HVL) is the thickness required to reduce the radiation intensity to one quarter of its incident value.

Neutron capture reactions mainly involve elements with low n-capture 'cross-section'.

Borated Polyethylene is a shielding material mainly used for slowing down fast neutrons through inelastic scatter interactions.

Alpha radiation is a significant external radiation hazard as it can penetrate to the sensitive organs of the body.

The guiding principle of radiation safety is 'As High As Necessary' (AHAN).

Dose rate is directly proportional to the distance from the radiation source.

The amount of time spent near a radioactive source has no effect on the overall dose.

Shielding is not a basic protective rule in radiation safety.

The ALARA principle recommends maintaining a minimum distance from a radioactive source.