22
TECHCAREERS: RADIATION PROTECTION TECHNOLOGY
national authorities) and to applicable national and local regulations. As a result, much of the basic experimental work using radioactive trace substances and ionizing radiation is usually done with animals in a laboratory setting. Most models are established as long-term studies of chemical, physiological and metabolic processes observable in the subject’s initial responses to the chemicals, as well as to determine the effects of updates or changes to the chemistries or dosages of the pharmaceuticals being evaluated. Since these experimental studies must necessarily be conducted or, at minimum, supervised by individuals with MD or PhD credentials and years of experience in all fields of medicine, any discussion of training and education objectives as prerequisite to “becoming” a biomedical researcher is superfluous. It can be said that when individuals – such as technicians, technologists or specialists – who work with radiation are considered as volunteers for research, steps must be taken to ensure that they are fully aware of the additional long-term risks to their health arising from their choice to add the experimental radiation to their day-to-day exposure on the job. Industrial RSOs are essentially broadly-trained individuals who must also have specific education and experience with the types and quantities of radioactive materials for which his or her employer is licensed to use in an industrial setting. The important job duties and the amount of authority with which RSOs are entrusted typically place them at a high supervisory level within the company’s organizational structure. The United States NRC believes that “adequate training and experience” for RSOs must include, as a minimum, a college degree at the bachelor level or equivalent training and experience in physical, chemical, or biological sciences. A qualified RSO for a manufacturing company where workers handle significant quantities of radioactive material is also expected to obtain up to forty more hours of radiation safety training specific to their job duties offered by an academic