12VAC5-481-640: Occupational dose limits for adults

Article 3

Occupational Dose Limits

A. The licensee shall control the occupational dose to individual adults, except for planned special exposures under 12VAC5-481-690, to the following dose limits.

1. An annual limit, which is the more limiting of:

a. The total effective dose equivalent being equal to 5 rem (0.05 Sv); or

b. The sum of the deep-dose equivalent and the committed dose equivalent to any individual organ or tissue other than the lens of the eye being equal to 50 rem (0.5 Sv).

2. The annual limits to the lens of the eye, to the skin of the whole body, and to the skin of the extremities, which are:

a. A lens dose equivalent of 15 rem (0.15 Sv), and

b. A shallow-dose equivalent of 50 rem (0.5 Sv) to the skin of the whole body or to the skin of any extremity.

B. Doses received in excess of the annual limits, including doses received during accidents, emergencies, and planned special exposures, shall be subtracted from the limits for planned special exposures that the individual may receive during the current year and during the individual's lifetime in accordance with 12VAC5-481-690 A 5.

C. When the external exposure is determined by measurement with an external personal monitoring device, the deep-dose equivalent shall be used in place of the effective dose equivalent, unless the effective dose equivalent is determined by a dosimetry method approved by the agency. The assigned deep-dose equivalent shall be for the part of the body receiving the highest exposure. The assigned shallow-dose equivalent shall be the dose averaged over the contiguous 10 square centimeters of skin receiving the highest exposure. The deep-dose equivalent, lens-dose equivalent, and shallow-dose equivalent may be assessed from surveys or other radiation measurements for the purpose of demonstrating compliance with the occupational dose limits if the individual monitoring device was not in the region of highest potential exposure or the results of individual monitoring are unavailable.

D. Derived air concentration (DAC) and annual limit on intake (ALI) values are presented in Appendix B to 10 CFR Part 20 and may be used to determine the individual's dose (see 12VAC5-481-1040) and to demonstrate compliance with the occupational dose limits.

E. In addition to the annual dose limits, the licensee shall limit the soluble uranium intake by an individual to 10 milligrams in a week in consideration of chemical toxicity (see Appendix B to 10 CFR Part 20).

F. The licensee shall reduce the dose that an individual may be allowed to receive in the current year by the amount of occupational dose received while employed by any other person (see 12VAC5-481-1020).