Radiation Exposure from Nondestructive Test

In the industrial world, nondestructive testing with ultrasound, eddy current, and radiation such as x- and gamma-rays is used for the purpose of quality control and inspection of manufactured products, electronic parts, piping, building structures, among others. The term, nondestructive testing, is generally used for methods used to examine the internal state of the test products without impairing them. There are fixed nondestructive testing equipment and portable nondestructive testing equipment using sealed gamma source. The latter is brought to a dockyard, a petrochemical complex, or other places for use.   Radiation source is moved from/to a container to/from a test spot by remote control. Radiation accidents have occurred due to the loss of radiation source or the incomplete recovery of radiation source in a container during this operation. Some serious radiation exposure accidents have occurred as a bystander picked up lost radiation source and took it back to his/her house. Of all radiation accidents, this kind of accident occurs with the highest frequency. However, the frequency is on the decrease in recent years because the number of nondestructive testing using portable sealed source of gamma rays has decreased.

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