P5 & M5 & D4
HEALTH AND SAFETY DURING BETA RADIATION EXPERIMENT
Radioactive isotopes decay actively, giving off alpha, beta and gamma, depending on the isotope.
Large doses of radiation are a risk as it can result in cancer, mutations and other diseases that can
develop over a long period of time, which may lead to serious conditions and death. That is why,
radioactive isotopes should be kept securely to prevent radiation from leaking. Each of the radiation
emitters, have different penetrating powers, but they should all be kept in a thick lead-lined
container so that no radiation can penetrate through. Whenever the isotopes are handled, personal
protective equipment such as lab coats, goggles and gloves should be worn.
The radioactive isotope used in the experiment, was Strontium-90. It is a beta particle emitter, which
fires high speed electrons over a period of time. I had to write a risk analysis stating what the hazards
were and what precautions can be taken to minimise risks and accidents. This is a table taken from
my beta radiation experiment:
Hazard Precaution
Radioactive elements- Danger, Personal protective equipment should be worn all
radiation risk times, for example lab coats, gloves and goggles
The radioactive elements should be handled by
using tongs
Protocols There is a legal requirement to state when there is an
experiment and there should be hazard signs placed
Equipment The equipment used has to be signed in and signed out
due to radioactive materials being present
Radioactive gloves After the experiment, the gloves should be disposed in
plastic bags(low level radiation)
Electric shock As electrical equipment is being used, it should be handled
carefully, the plugs should be plugged in correctly, and the
switches should be turned off at the end of the
experiment.
We could not do the experiment due to health and safety reasons, so our teacher done he
experiment as he is qualified and has a certificate to handle radioactive isotopes. The isotope was
handled with tongs and gloves were worn so that there was no contamination with radioactive
particles. Beta decay can cause damage as it can penetrate through the skin, so we had to watch
from a distance. Usually after a radioactive experiment, they should be decontaminated by taking
showers, but in this case colleges don’t have showers so they just dispose the radioactive gloves in a
plastic bag and then in the bin.
There are potential risks behind radioactive isotopes, so under legislations and regulations, the
exposure to radiation should be kept as low as possible, as it builds up overtime. In colleges, simple
experiments are carried out with little amounts of radioactive isotopes, s there is little radiation
exposed, however it should still be controlled and handled carefully. Qualified individuals with
training should be the people who handle the isotopes, when carrying it and when using it for an
experiment.
HEALTH AND SAFETY DURING BETA RADIATION EXPERIMENT
Radioactive isotopes decay actively, giving off alpha, beta and gamma, depending on the isotope.
Large doses of radiation are a risk as it can result in cancer, mutations and other diseases that can
develop over a long period of time, which may lead to serious conditions and death. That is why,
radioactive isotopes should be kept securely to prevent radiation from leaking. Each of the radiation
emitters, have different penetrating powers, but they should all be kept in a thick lead-lined
container so that no radiation can penetrate through. Whenever the isotopes are handled, personal
protective equipment such as lab coats, goggles and gloves should be worn.
The radioactive isotope used in the experiment, was Strontium-90. It is a beta particle emitter, which
fires high speed electrons over a period of time. I had to write a risk analysis stating what the hazards
were and what precautions can be taken to minimise risks and accidents. This is a table taken from
my beta radiation experiment:
Hazard Precaution
Radioactive elements- Danger, Personal protective equipment should be worn all
radiation risk times, for example lab coats, gloves and goggles
The radioactive elements should be handled by
using tongs
Protocols There is a legal requirement to state when there is an
experiment and there should be hazard signs placed
Equipment The equipment used has to be signed in and signed out
due to radioactive materials being present
Radioactive gloves After the experiment, the gloves should be disposed in
plastic bags(low level radiation)
Electric shock As electrical equipment is being used, it should be handled
carefully, the plugs should be plugged in correctly, and the
switches should be turned off at the end of the
experiment.
We could not do the experiment due to health and safety reasons, so our teacher done he
experiment as he is qualified and has a certificate to handle radioactive isotopes. The isotope was
handled with tongs and gloves were worn so that there was no contamination with radioactive
particles. Beta decay can cause damage as it can penetrate through the skin, so we had to watch
from a distance. Usually after a radioactive experiment, they should be decontaminated by taking
showers, but in this case colleges don’t have showers so they just dispose the radioactive gloves in a
plastic bag and then in the bin.
There are potential risks behind radioactive isotopes, so under legislations and regulations, the
exposure to radiation should be kept as low as possible, as it builds up overtime. In colleges, simple
experiments are carried out with little amounts of radioactive isotopes, s there is little radiation
exposed, however it should still be controlled and handled carefully. Qualified individuals with
training should be the people who handle the isotopes, when carrying it and when using it for an
experiment.
