The values in this table are guidelines and should not be viewed as inflexible limits or turn-back levels. All exposures should be justified and exposures that exceed 5 rem should only be performed if the worker is informed of the risks and all appropriate actions taken to minimize dose.
Agency |
Critical Tasks |
Dose |
Text from Reference |
Decision to withdraw responder from inner perimeter |
50 rad (0.5 Gy) |
The absorbed dose received by an individual emergency responder working in the radiation control zones must be controlled. The cumulative absorbed dose that triggers a decision on whether to withdraw an emergency responder from within or near (but outside) the inner perimeter is 50 rad (0.5 Gy).5,6,7 In this Commentary, the 50 rad (0.5 Gy) cumulative absorbed dose is called the decision dose (Section 4.2). The cumulative absorbed dose received by an emergency responder while working within or near the inner perimeter must be recorded (Sections 5.2.1. and 5.3.2).
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ASTM E2601-15: Standard Practice for Radiological Emergency Response |
Protecting Property |
10 rem (0.1 Sv) |
10 rem (0.1 Sv), protecting valuable property necessary for public welfare. |
ASTM E2601-15: Standard Practice for Radiological Emergency Response |
Life-saving or protection of large populations |
25 rem (0.25 Sv) |
25 rem (0.25 Sv), lifesaving or protection of large populations. |
ASTM E2601-15: Standard Practice for Radiological Emergency Response Makers (2010) |
Life-saving activities in catastrophic incidents |
50 rem (0.5 Sv) |
50 rem (0.5 Sv) for lifesaving activities in catastrophic incidents. |
EPA PAG Manual: Protective Action Guides and Planning Guidance For Radiological Incidents, 2013 |
Protecting valuable property necessary for public welfare |
10 rem (0.1 Sv) |
Condition: Exceeding 5 rem (50 mSv) unavoidable and all appropriate actions taken to reduce dose. Monitoring available to project or measure dose. In the case of a very large incident, such as an IND, incident commanders may need to consider raising the property and lifesaving response worker guidelines to prevent further loss of life and massive spread of destruction. |
EPA PAG Manual: Protective Action Guides and Planning Guidance For Radiological Incidents, 2013 |
Life-saving or protection of large populations |
25 rem (0.25 Sv) |
Condition: Exceeding 5 rem (50 mSv) unavoidable and all appropriate actions taken to reduce dose. Monitoring available to project or measure dose. Response actions that could cause exposures in excess of the 25 rem (250 mSv) Response Worker Guideline should only be undertaken with an understanding of the potential acute effects of radiation to the exposed responder (see Table 2-3) and only when the benefits of the action clearly exceed the associated risks. In the case of a very large incident, such as an IND, incident commanders may need to consider raising the property and lifesaving response worker guidelines to prevent further loss of life and massive spread of destruction. |
Non-lifesaving activities (major critical property protection) |
10 rem (0.1 Sv) |
Guidelines for Total Accumulated Dose: 10,000 mrem for major critical property protection |
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Life-saving activities |
50 rem (0.5 Sv) |
Guidelines for Total Accumulated Dose: 50,000 mrem for life saving activities. The 50,000 mrem dose guideline is a level where minor effects from short-term radiation exposure are possible. Note that this guideline applies to a once-in-a-lifetime event. |
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Moderate Damage Zone Severe Damage Zone |
The Moderate Damage Zone should be the focus of early lifesaving operations. Early response activities should focus on medical triage with constant consideration of radiation dose minimization. Response within the Severe Damage Zone should not be attempted until radiation dose rates have dropped substantially in the days following a nuclear detonation, and the Moderate Damage Zone response is significantly advanced. All response missions must be justified to minimize responder risks based on risk/benefit considerations built into worker safety and ensuring that responders’ radiation exposures are below the occupational exposure limit. |