An Overview: Radiation Shielding for Doors
In today’s modern industries, radiation is being used in an increasing number of ways. This makes radiation shielding and protection more important than ever, especially when it comes to your building’s doors. Here is an overview of radiation shielding for doors
Common Radiation Shielding Questions
What is Radiation Shielding for Doors?
Radiation shielding can be added to a variety of doors during the design and manufacture stage to prevent unsafe radiation from penetrating the doors. There are a wide variety of materials and systems that can be used.
Why Would You Need Radiation Shielding?
Unsafe exposure to radiation can have an array of negative impacts on the health of your building occupants. This can range from nausea and skin irritation through to nerve damage and cancer. Radiation shielding for doors can provide a vital layer of protection on your doors to keep staff, clients and the general public safe from radiation.
Who Uses Radiation Shielding?
Using radiation shielded doors has become an essential part of the health and safety strategy for many businesses, including the following.
- Radiology and X-Ray Facilities
- Dental Surgeries
- Veterinary Clinics
- Research Laboratories
- Communications Centres
- Nuclear Power Operations
If you are unsure whether your business requires radiation shielding, you should seek advice from a professional radiation expert or contact FSE Special Purpose Doors.
Options for Radiation Shielding
There are a wide range of options when it comes to radiation shielding for doors. The most important considerations will be the type of radiation you need protection against, and the type of doors you need. When it comes to shielding material, some of the most common options include:
- Lead-lined fire doors – Protects against low to medium energy X-rays
- Interlocking lead bricks – Protects against high energy X-rays
- Interlocking concrete blocks – Protects against neutron and gamma radiation
- Solid steel plated doors – Protects against neutron and gamma radiation
- Borated polyethylene-lined doors – Protects against neutron radiation
Radiation shielding can also be applied to a wide range of door sizes and systems to suit your design and construction needs. It can be suitable for:
- Swing doors
- Pivot doors
- Sliding fire doors
- Fire doors
- Smoke doors
- Glass doors – doors with glass vision panels (the glass panels are also radiation shielded in these doors)
Like most doors, radiation shielded doors are very versatile, and can be designed and adapted to meet the specific needs of your space.
Radiation Protection Requirements
In Australia, the regulation of radiation protection falls under the authority of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA). ARPANSA works to promote a national standard of radiation safety and its Radiation Protection Series lays out the basic principles for managing radiation risk. Some of the most important principles (F-1, Feb 2014) to consider are:
- Principle 1 – “The prime responsibility for management of radiation risks must rest with the person or organisation responsible for facilities and activities that give rise to radiation risks”
- Principle 5 – “Protection must be optimised so that radiation risks are as low as reasonably achievable”
- Principle 6 – “Measures for controlling radiation risks must ensure that no individual bears an unacceptable risk of harm, and that the environment is protected”
Radiation can place your building and its inhabitants at risk and without the right doors, these risks won’t be mitigated or minimised. Make sure your doors are radiation shielded accordingly!
