Working With Radiation: Wear the Right Protective Clothing

You can never be too cautious when you work with or around radiation and radioactive products. While there’s no need to wear a protective hood when speaking on your cell phone (not yet, anyway), companies and employees who work in a radioactive environment or with radioactive products should always err on the side of caution and invest in high-quality protective clothing.

Is Your Company Providing the Right Protective Clothing to Prevent Employee Radiation Exposure?

ALARA regulations are very clear that it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure their employees are 100% aware of the risks of work-related radiation potential as well as which scenarios put the employees at risk of radioactive exposure. Also, employers must make every effort possible to protect their employees from exposure to radiation, using specifically design products, like radiation shielding materials, glove bags or sleeves and/or appropriate protective clothing.

The following are examples of protective clothing, designed to shield the wearer from harmful radiation exposure.

Full-Protection Suits. For those who are surrounded or working directly in an environment that offers little to no shielding, workers should be provided with fully protective suits. These suits range from one-piece to two-piece suits and including wet suits. They are available in a variety of styles and price points. Some models include pocket dosimeters so workers can keep a closer eye on their exposure level.
Many of the full-protection suit models come with options such as attachments for hoods and booties, additional exhaust vents and options for zipper or Velcro openings. Our suits are available in S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL.

Welder Jackets. Your welders will appreciate the custom welder jacket, which provides additional protection – especially around the shoulders where protective suit seams can invisibly wear over time. It will also shield workers from radiation exposure due to general rips and tears, which are more common on the upper body. Our welder jackets provide radiation protection from the neck to the wrists and are available in sizes M to 3XL.

Hoods. The one-size-fits all hood comes in three different style options and materials: PVC, cotton and urethane. All have a Velcro-front closure.

Booties, Shoe Covers and Sleeves. In addition to the risk posed to employees who work directly with radiation, there is always the risk of contamination from one work area to another, or from work to home. Booties, shoe covers and sleeves are one of the best mechanisms for preventing contamination and cross-contamination scenarios. Our shoe covers range from those that cover the shoe only, to full- high-top booties and cotton overshoes for maximum protection. We offer both regular sleeves as well as chemical sleeves, the former meets the requirements of MIL-A-24914.

You can see our full array of protective clothing on our website. Are you looking for more specific or customized protective gear, shielding or clothing? Contact Lancs Industries where our experience and industry longevity make us one of the best manufacturers of rote and custom radiation shielding world-wide.