List best practices to minimize the risk of exposure when handling radiographic sources (e.g., with sealed sources or devices).

• A. Use shielding, remote handling tools, minimize time and maximize distance, secure storage, hazard analysis, training.
• B. Increase proximity to sources; avoid shielding.
• C. Rely on personal protective equipment alone without shielding or time/distance adjustments.
• D. Only train new staff; ignore hazard analysis.

Answer: (C)

ALARA and layered protection is the idea here: combine physical barriers, distance, and administrative controls to keep exposure as low as reasonably achievable. Shielding directly reduces the radiation that can reach the worker by attenuating the beam as it passes through material. Remote handling tools let you manipulate the source from a safer location, maintaining distance while still working. Reducing the time spent near the source lowers the total dose because dose accumulates with exposure duration. Increasing distance is often the most powerful saver due to the inverse square law, especially with radiographic sources that behave like point sources when you’re not right on them. Secured storage and hazard analysis help ensure access is controlled and that every task is reviewed for potential exposure, while training builds the competence to implement shielding, use remote tools, manage time and distance, and respond to incidents. Relying on personal protective equipment alone isn’t sufficient for external exposure from sealed sources and doesn’t replace shielding or time/distance controls. A plan that emphasizes shielding, remote handling, reduced time, increased distance, secure storage, hazard analysis, and training provides the strongest protection.