Radiation Safety at Nuclear Power Plants: Studies Look at Public, Workers

Workers at U.S. facilities that use radioactive materials are subjected to a small occupational health risk. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission sets standards to ensure their safety. The agency limits worker doses to no more than five rem (5,000 millirems) per year and requires that occupational doses be kept “as low as reasonably achievable.” Radiation workers are individually monitored to record their total radiation dose. Utilities maintain detailed exposure records and report those records annually to the NRC and the workers.