
State and local government employees are covered if they are in one of the 28 states and two territories that operate their own OSHA-approved state plans. OSHA standards cover all workers in the private sector, as well as civilian employees of most federal entities. The tables below outline OSHA's standards for ionizing radiation and related hazards. 1096) also applies across the maritime sector to activities on vessels and on shore, including in shipyard employment, marine terminals (see. 57), the general industry standard for ionizing radiation (. While some shipyard employment operations are covered by OSHA's Uses of Fissionable Material in Ship Repairing and Shipbuilding standard (. 1096), in addition to requiring a competent person to perform activities involving the use of radioactive materials or X-rays (see. 53) incorporates by reference the provisions of the general industry standard (. The construction standard for ionizing radiation (. OSHA's Ionizing Radiation standards protect workers in: The State Plans may have more stringent requirements for occupational exposures to ionizing radiation when compared to federal requirements. OSHA State Plans have OSHA-approved standards and enforcement programs that are at least as effective as federal OSHA's. These states may also regulate occupational exposure to radiation sources that NRC does not, including radiation-producing machines (e.g., X-ray machines, particle accelerators) and NORM. NRC Agreement States regulate occupational exposure to radioactive materials within their borders. States also regulate occupational exposure to ionizing radiation.OSHA requires employers to protect workers from exposure to ionizing radiation sources that are not regulated by the NRC or other federal agencies, such as X-ray equipment, some accelerators, incidental accelerator-produced radioactive materials, ion implanters, and some naturally-occurring radioactive material (NORM).This includes source material (uranium and thorium), special nuclear material (enriched uranium and plutonium), by-product material (e.g., material made radioactive in a reactor and residue from the millings of uranium and thorium), accelerator produced radioactive materials, and discrete sources of radium. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulates exposure to radioactive materials.This section also provides an overview of the responsibilities of other federal agencies and states regarding occupational radiation protection. Ionizing radiation is addressed in specific OSHA standards for general industry, maritime, and construction. This section highlights OSHA standards and documents related to occupational exposures to ionizing radiation.
