Robotic Handling of Gamma-Ray Sources in Site Radiography of Steel Storage Tanks

There are many possible causes of the radiation exposure hazard in on-site gamma radiography. Through poor safety procedures, for example, operators are in danger of rapidly acquiring radiation dosage by proximity to the radioactive source. In such circumstances a dosage, which might otherwise be associated with one year of intensive radiography work, can be acquired in a few minutes. The way forward is to find the means for reducing the risk of exposure to as little as practically possible. By contrast, the concept of a 'safe dosage level' is unacceptable. Through an integrated approach, involving remote robot handling of the radiographic equipment, safety can be better managed and higher productivity achieved. A particular benefit of this approach is the extremely fast source projection and retraction time compared with best current methods.