The purpose of this Report is to provide design guidelines for radiation protection, and to identify those aspects of radiological safety that are of major, or even unique, importance to the operation of particle accelerator installations and to suggest methods by which safe operation may be achieved. The report is written from an engineering physics viewpoint and is intended to be useful to those engaged in the design and operation of accelerators, particularly in smaller institutions and organizations that do not have a large radiological-protection staff.

The use of non-standard technologies such as superconductivity, cryogenics and radiofrequency pose challenges for the safe operation of accelerator facilities that cannot be addressed using only best practice from occupational safety in conventional industry. This book introduces readers to different occupational safety issues at accelerator facilities and is directed to managers, scientists, technical personnel and students working at current or future accelerator facilities. While the focus is on occupational safety – how to protect the people working at these facilities – the book also touches on “machine safety” – how to prevent accelerators from doing structural damage to themselves. This open access book offers a first introduction to safety at accelerator facilities. Presenting an overview of the safety-related aspects of the specific technologies employed in particle accelerators, it highlights the potential hazards at such facilities and current prevention and protection measures. It closes with a review of safety management and organization at accelerator facilities.

Radioisotopes are used worldwide in a range of medical, industrial, research and academic applications. A large proportion of these radioisotopes are produced in particle accelerators, and the number of institutions that operate linear accelerators or cyclotrons and manufacture and distribute radiopharmaceuticals, for example, is significant and increasing. The production of radioisotopes using particle accelerators poses significant radiation hazards to workers, members of the public, and the environment when accelerators are operated without adequate radiation safety measures. This Safety Guide provides practical guidance for implementing radiation protection and safety measures in such facilities involved in the production and use of radioisotopes.

"This report of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) is concerned with radiations produced by accelerators of charged particles having energies from 9.1 to 100 MeV. The material in this report includes recommendations concerning structural shielding and details of accelerator-facility design as they pertain to radiation protection. The scientific committee responsible for the preparation of this report was charged with preparing a guide to good practice in radiation protection for all types of particle accelerators, taking into full consideration their broad application in research, medicine, and industry. In carrying out this objective, the committee has endeavored to organize into a single report the recommendations and guidelines for the many accelerator designs, performance ratings, and applications, without resorting to over-generalization or undue conservatism. There is some overlap of this report with the coverage of other NCRP reports, but an attempt has been made to limit duplication of material except where it is justified for the sake of continuity, or because of the need to complement the coverage of the following existing NCRP reports, or to update their information and recommendations: NCRP Report Nos. 14 (1954a); 31 (1964b); 34 (1970a), which was superseded by NCRP Report No. 49 (1976); 38 (1971a)." --From the Preface, page iii.

The proposed book aims to explain the basic principles, concepts and regulations behind radiation protection and their application in the field of radiation oncology practice. This book will be useful to all those students, teachers and practicing professionals involved in the field of radiation oncology.

In the United States there are several thousand devices containing high-activity radiation sources licensed for use in areas ranging from medical uses such as cancer therapy to safety uses such as testing of structures and industrial equipment. Those radiation sources are licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state agencies. Concerns have been raised about the safety and security of the radiation sources, particularly amid fears that they could be used to create dirty bombs, or radiological dispersal device (RDD). In response to a request from Congress, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission asked the National Research Council to conduct a study to review the uses of high-risk radiation sources and the feasibility of replacing them with lower risk alternatives. The study concludes that the U.S. government should consider factors such as potential economic consequences of misuse of the radiation sources into its assessments of risk. Although the committee found that replacements of most sources are possible, it is not economically feasible in some cases. The committee recommends that the U.S. government take steps to in the near term to replace radioactive cesium chloride radiation sources, a potential "dirty bomb" ingredient used in some medical and research equipment, with lower-risk alternatives. The committee further recommends that longer term efforts be undertaken to replace other sources. The book presents a number of options for making those replacements.

Linear Accelerators for Radiation Therapy, Second Edition focuses on the fundamentals of accelerator systems, explaining the underlying physics and the different features of these systems. This edition includes expanded sections on the treatment head, on x-ray production via multileaf and dynamic collimation for the production of wedged and other intensity modulated beams, on electron scattering systems, and on dosimetry. With high-quality illustrations and practical examples throughout, it contains a detailed description of electron beam optics and linear accelerator components. The final chapter explains how to use other equipment, such as scanners and simulators, in conjunction with linear accelerators for optimum treatment of cancers.