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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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The RAIN scale: A good intention that falls short
Radiation protection specialists agree that clear communication of radiation risks remains a vexing challenge that cannot be solved solely by finding new ways to convey technical information.
Earlier this year, an article in Nuclear News described a new radiation risk communication tool, known as the Radiation Index, or, RAIN (“Let it RAIN: A new approach to radiation communication,” NN, Jan. 2025, p. 36). The authors of the article created the RAIN scale to improve radiation risk communication to the general public who are not well-versed in important aspects of radiation exposures, including radiation dose quantities, units, and values; associated health consequences; and the benefits derived from radiation exposures.
R. M. Ronningen, Georg Bollen, Igor Remec
Nuclear Technology | Volume 168 | Number 3 | December 2009 | Pages 670-675
Accelerators | Special Issue on the 11th International Conference on Radiation Shielding and the 15th Topical Meeting of the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division (PART 3) / Radiation Protection | doi.org/10.13182/NT09-A9287
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The purpose of the study is to obtain estimates of limits on uncontrolled beam losses of heavy ions for allowing hands-on maintenance at a heavy-ion linac for a rare isotope beam facility. Semiempirical formulas are used to estimate dose equivalent rates from activated accelerator components for 1 W/m uncontrolled losses of protons up to 1 GeV. The estimated dose rates after a 100-day irradiation time, 4-h postshutdown cooling time are compared to a hands-on maintenance limit of 1 mSv/h (100 mrem/h) at 30 cm. The transport codes PHITS and MCNP5 and activation code DCHAIN-SP 2001 are used to verify the estimate for proton losses and to obtain limits on heavy-ion beam losses that will satisfy the hands-on maintenance dose rate limit.