Why is radiation shielding important?
Radiation is a necessary by-product of many of the most important technologies of modern life. Without it, we wouldn’t have been allowed to make the advances in analytic imaging and in modern health science that we all enjoy today. Where would we be without X-rays, MRIs and CT scans? What would our hospitals look like without these technologies? Despite our dependency on these technologies, the radiation that they produce nevertheless remains a significant health concern as too much exposure to radiation emission can be very harmful to our wellbeing.
Radiation emission is a part of daily life, both in medical and industrial settings. There are many work environments in which workers are exposed to significant levels of radiation, and to eliminate the potential health concerns of their workforce, employers have to ensure that their workers and their work environment are properly shielded for radiation.
If a person working closely in a radiation producing environment isn’t properly shielded or protected, then there remains the possibility for harm to his or her body. If a person is continually exposed to extreme levels of emission they’ll have a considerable possibility of contracting cancerous tumors. Radiation illness, also known as radiation poisoning,has been known to cause symptoms such as:
• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Hair loss
• Fatigue, weakness, fainting, exhaustion
• Bloody stool
• Blood vomiting
• Bleeding from the mouth, nose, rectum and gums
Know what radiation solution is appropriate for you?
When sourcing a radiation protection solution, it is absolutely essential to look for expert counsel on what degree of protection and shielding is required, in addition to what materials are available to achieve your shielding requirements. Shielding options like lead lined doors and lead fabrics are good shielding materials, but they can create their own health concerns given the known toxicity of lead. Therefore, it is better to consider radiation shielding options that are lead free. There are many suppliers out there today that can provide lead free radiation shielding solutions that are also environmentally friendly.