Queensland Consolidated Acts Queensland Consolidated ActsThe principles intended to guide the achievement of this Act's main object (the radiation safety, protection and security principles) are the following--
(a) People should be protected from unnecessary exposure to ionising radiation through the processes of justification, limitation and optimisation.
• Justification
Justification involves assessing whether more good than harm results from a radiation practice.
• Limitation
Limitation involves setting radiation dose limits, or imposing other measures, so that the health risks to any person exposed to radiation are below levels considered unacceptable.
• Optimisation
Optimisation involves minimising health risks to any person, with the broad objective that the degree of exposure to radiation, number of persons exposed and likelihood of exposure be kept as low as reasonably achievable, having regard to economic and social factors.
(b) People should be protected from unnecessary exposure to harmful non-ionising radiation through the processes of specifying emission or absorption standards, limitation and avoidance.
• Specifying emission or absorption standards
Specifying emission or absorption standards involves deciding thresholds above which exposure to radiation may result in unacceptable health risks to any person.
• Limitation
Limitation involves setting radiation dose limits, or imposing other measures, so that the health risks to any person exposed to radiation are below levels considered unacceptable.
• Avoidance
Avoidance involves minimising, as far as practicable, exposures to radiation.
(c) People should be protected from unnecessary exposure to radiation resulting from a malevolent event by ensuring that radiation sources are safely managed and securely protected at all times, including after the end of their useful life.