Need for Radiation Monitoring for Pregnant Employees

Radiation dosimeters, also known as radiation monitors, are devices typically used to detect and evaluate the extent of exposure by an individual or an object to ionizing radiation. These radiation detection devices are usually found in potentially hazardous or radioactive work settings. X-rays, alpha rays, beta rays and gamma rays are types of ionizing radiation which is undetectable by human senses. Long exposure to these are known to cause severe bodily damages and thus affect workers such as technical staff and doctors in diagnostic labs, radiographers and nuclear power plant workers. It is the job of the radiation monitors to ensure that workers are not exposed to radiation to the extent deemed unsafe for the individuals.

Radiation dosimeters or Radiation Monitors come in extremely handy to ensure safety levels for pregnant staff in factories. The exposure of a fetus to radiation poses severe health hazards for the mother as well as the fetus. The severity depends on the gestation period at the time of exposure and the amount of exposure to radiation.

Research shows that such exposure while in the mother’s womb increases cancer risk later in the life of the child. Though small doses of radiation of up to 500 X-rays do not cause any evident health defects, large doses during the sensitive stages of development are known to cause birth defects, stunted growth, brain damage and even miscarriages.

As a safety measure, women in industrial settings are expected to declare their pregnancies. Radiation monitoring is performed to estimate the monthly dose to the fetus from external sources. Also, safety norms demand that radiation detection devices are duly installed to avoid variation or excess of monthly exposure limits for pregnant women.

Radiation dosimeters help ensure that radiation limits are maintained for pregnant workers who are occupationally exposed to radiation. An efficient method to ensure optimum use of radiation detection devices and protection of pregnant staff is the use of different dosimeter badges, a radiation-sensitive device often worn in a small package on the clothing. This device helps record the exposure levels of workers and is often worn by minors and declared pregnant women. It is also recommended that pregnant workers wear two radiation dosimeters, one on the neckline and the other on an abdominal-level protective apron.

In this way, industrial set-ups are taking various initiatives by installing radiation detection devices and implementing pregnancy declaration norms to create healthy work environments for pregnant women.