General Instructions

Client Services
This section contains information on our radiation dosimetry service. There is more information in our frequently asked questions section (FAQ). If you still have questions, please call our client service desk at 866-897-8707, or you can contact us here

How to ensure you get the best results from your Radiation Dosimetry Service

  1. Always wear your dosimetry badge when working
  2. Do not wear your X-Ray Badge (dosimeter) when you are receiving x-rays for your own personal health care.
  3. Do not wear your badge when you go home, or out for lunch.
  4. Wear your dosimetry badge outside of your lead apron (unless using more than one radiation dosimeter).
  5. Turn your x-ray badge in promptly. A time gap makes analysis more difficult, less accurate, and reduces the legal and historical value of the reports.
  6. Report any lost/damaged unit immediately (sunshine/heat, the washer, etc.). Prevent damage by not leaving your monitor in areas of high temperature.
  7. Place the control in a radiation-safe area; this affects the accuracy of all your dosimeters!
    - Your Control Badge is NOT for testing (operator booth, receptionist's desk, etc.). Additional badges for testing can be assigned and provided by Sierra Radiation Dosimetry Service.
  8. Sharing dosimetry badges can invalidate the reading for each individual.
  9. Do not tamper with your badge or anyone else's. The reports are legal documents and are regarded as real exposures received.
Reference: http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/rp/xray/xdos.htm

Badge Use

Body Badges: Most people are monitored with a dosimeter badge worn on the chest. This is to monitor what is called whole body dose. This badge should be worn on the front of the body, between the shoulders and waist. Wearing on the belt is not recommended. Properly locating the badge on your body insures your dose report will be accurate and representative of the dose received on the job.

Rings: Ring dosimeters shall be worn so as to show the maximum dose to the hand. This means the ring is worn on the finger closest to the source of exposure and oriented with the detection element facing the source. If the source is held in the hand, the large part of the ring will be on the palm side of the finger. If the source is outside the hand (i.e., a vet tech positioning a patient), the large part of the ring will be worn on the outside of the finger.

Control Badges: The control badge travels with your personnel and area badges in every regular shipment to measure the radiation the badges are exposed to in transit and the ambient radiation due to naturally occurring sources. It is very important you return the Control Badge every wear period to increase the accuracy of the results. Any dose on the control badge gets subtracted from your personnel and area badges to obtain the occupational dose.

Pregnant Women

Reg Guide 8.13 ( http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/occupational-health/rg/8-13/) requires licensees to "ensure that the dose to an embryo/fetus during the entire pregnancy, due to occupational exposure of a declared pregnant woman, does not exceed 0.5 rem (5 mSv)." Section 20.1208 also requires licensees to "make efforts to avoid substantial variation above a uniform monthly exposure rate to a declared pregnant woman." A declared pregnant woman is defined in 10 CFR 20.1003 as a woman who has voluntarily informed her employer, in writing, of her pregnancy and the estimated date of conception. Dose to declared pregnant workers should be minimized, total dose during gestation shall be less than 500 mrem, and no monthly dose should be substantially higher than any other month.


Mailing Procedures

Subscribers will automatically receive a new set of replacement badges along with a pre-printed envelope to send the old badges back to us for processing. Always continue wearing the badges you have until the replacements arrive. If you do not have an addressed envelope, please send the badges in a sturdy envelope to Sierra Radiation Dosimetry Service, P.O. Box 19755, Irvine, CA 92623. Do not forget postage (Learn More).

Keep in mind, the data accumulated by the badges during their time in the field is irreplaceable, therefore, you may consider using a traceable shipping method, such as, FedEx, UPS, or DHL.

Badge Roster Changes And Lost Badges

You can modify your account by logging into your account at https://www.SierraDosimetry.com/Account.aspx, or by calling customer support at 866-897-8707. If possible, don’t wait until the end of the monitoring period to alert us to changes. call us right away with any changes or questions you may have so that we can keep your account current. If you lose a badge, you may order a replacement badge to fill out the remainder of the monitoring period.