Exposure of individuals to radiation in restricted areas.

§ 50–204.21 Exposure of individuals to radiation in restricted areas. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no employer shall possess, use, or transfer sources of ionizing radiation in such a manner as to cause any individual in a restricted area to receive in any period of one calendar quarter from sources in the employer's possession or control a dose in excess of the limits specified in the following table:   Rems per calendar quarter 1. Whole body: Head and trunk; active blood-forming organs; lens of eyes; or gonads 1 1/4 2. Hands and forearms; feet and ankles 18 3/4 3. Skin of whole body 7 1/2 (b) An employer may permit an individual in a restricted area to receive doses to the whole body greater than those permitted under paragraph (a) of this section, so long as: (1) During any calendar quarter the dose to the whole body shall not exceed 3 rems; and (2) The dose to the whole body, when added to the accumulated occupational dose to the whole body, shall not exceed 5 (N–18) rems, where “N” equals the individual's age in years at his last birthday; and (3) The employer maintains adequate past and current exposure records which show that the addition of such a dose will not cause the individual to exceed the amount authorized in this paragraph. As used in this paragraph “Dose to the whole body” shall be deemed to include any dose to the whole body, gonad, active bloodforming organs, head and trunk, or lens of the eye. (c) No employer shall permit any employee who is under 18 years of age to receive in any period of one calendar quarter a dose in excess of 10 percent of the limits specified in the table in paragraph (a) of this section. (d) Calendar quarter means any 3-month period determined as follows: (1) The first period of any year may begin on any date in January: Provided, That the second, third, and fourth periods accordingly begin on the same date in April, July, and October, respectively, and that the fourth period extends into January of the succeeding year, if necessary to complete a 3-month quarter. During the first year of use of this method of determination, the first period for that year shall also include any additional days in January preceding the starting date for the first period; or (2) The first period in a calendar year of 13 complete, consecutive calendar weeks; the second period in a calendar year of 13 complete, consecutive calendar weeks; the third period in a calendar year of 13 complete, consecutive calendar weeks; the fourth period in a calendar year of 13 complete, consecutive calendar weeks. If at the end of a calendar year there are any days not falling within a complete calendar week of that year, such days shall be included within the last complete calendar week of that year. If at the beginning of any calendar year there are days not falling within a complete calendar week of that year, such days shall be included within the last complete calendar week of the previous year; or (3) The four periods in a calendar year may consist of the first 14 complete, consecutive calendar weeks; the next 12 complete, consecutive calendar weeks, the next 14 complete, consecutive calendar weeks, and the last 12 complete, consecutive calendar weeks. If at the end of a calendar year there are any days not falling within a complete calendar week of that year, such days shall be included (for purposes of this part) within the last complete calendar week of the year. If at the beginning of any calendar year there are days not falling within a complete calendar week of that year, such days shall be included (for purposes of this part) within the last complete week of the previous year. (e) No employer shall change the method used by him to determine calendar quarters except at the beginning of a calendar year.