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Ch 2 · Radiation hazards and protection

Regarding the eye-lens equivalent dose limit for an employee:

The annual eye-lens equivalent dose limit is 20 mSv under IRR 2017.
Correct. IRR 2017 sets it at 20 mSv a year, cut from the former 150 mSv.
An approved 5-year-averaging option permits 100 mSv over 5 consecutive years, no single year exceeding 50 mSv.
Correct. An HSE-approved averaging option allows 100 mSv over 5 years, provided no single year exceeds 50 mSv.
The eye-lens limit is intended to restrict stochastic cancer risk to the lens.
False, and this is a trap. Equivalent-dose limits exist to prevent cataract, a deterministic effect. Not cancer.
The deterministic cataract threshold for the lens is now taken as about 0.5 Gy.
Correct. ICRP 118 puts the threshold at about 0.5 Gy.
The annual eye-lens equivalent dose limit is 150 mSv.
False today. It is 20 mSv. 150 mSv was the old limit, and it is still the answer printed in books written under the old regulations.
0 of 5 answered
Why people get it wrong

Every answer applied to IRR 2017 and IR(ME)R 2017.

The regulations changed in 2017. The popular question books were published between 2009 and 2011 and still answer under the old ones.

What the old books answer
150 mSv

Eye-lens dose limit under IRR 1999. Revise it perfectly, and you still lose the mark.

What the law says today
20 mSv

Under IRR 2017. Every answer here is verified against IRR 2017, IR(ME)R 2017 and ICRP 103/118.

How the marks are split

Radiation Safety is 30 of your marks.

40 stems, 5 items each, 200 marks. No negative marking, so answer all 200.

TopicStemsMarks
Matter and Radiation315
Radiography & Fluoroscopy630
Radionuclide Imaging630
Radiation Safety630
Computed Tomography630
Magnetic Resonance Imaging630
Ultrasound630
Other15
Total40200

Source: RCR, FRCR Part 1 (Radiology) guidance notes for candidates, section 4b. The RCR calls this the current distribution, so we check it each time this page changes.

Just memorise those numbers and secure 15% of the paper. Our Radiation hazards and protection chapter covers it, and we give that chapter away.

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  • Radiation hazards and protection, the whole chapter
  • 60 stems, 300 items, every explanation
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The whole bank and the mock paper. Billed monthly, cancel anytime.

  • All 561 stems, 2,805 items, 10 chapters
  • Mock paper: 40 stems, 200 marks, 120 minutes
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FAQ

The questions everyone asks first.

Is the free chapter really free?

Yes. Radiation hazards and protection opens in full: 60 stems, 300 items, every explanation. No card details, and it does not expire. That chapter is worth 30 marks in the paper.

Why should I trust the answers?

Because you can check them before you pay. Every answer is written by a practising radiologist and verified against the law in force today: IRR 2017 and IR(ME)R 2017, with ICRP 103 and 118 behind the dose quantities.

I already have the physics textbooks. Why pay for this?

The popular question books were published between 2009 and 2011, before the regulations changed in 2017. Where they disagree with the current law, the books are the ones that are wrong: they print the eye-lens dose limit as 150 mSv, and the limit today is 20 mSv. Revising an old number perfectly still loses the mark.

What do I get for £49 a month?

The whole bank: 561 stems, 2,805 true/false items across ten chapters, each with a written explanation, plus the timed mock paper. Bookmark anything you want to come back to, and your progress is tracked chapter by chapter across the whole bank.

Is there a mock exam?

Yes, with the subscription. 40 stems, 200 marks, 120 minutes, set to the RCR's own topic distribution and scored topic by topic, so you can see which chapter is costing you marks. How it mirrors the paper and where to place mock runs in your revision: the Physics mock exam, explained.

Is there negative marking in the FRCR Physics exam?

No. A wrong answer costs nothing beyond that mark, so never leave a statement blank. Our mock marks the same way.

What does the FRCR Physics syllabus cover?

The physics behind every imaging modality plus radiation safety. Our bank covers it in ten chapters: radiation physics, radiation hazards and protection, imaging with X-rays, digital radiography, fluoroscopy, computed tomography, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, MRI and mammography. The official syllabus is published by the RCR.

What is the pass mark for FRCR Physics?

The RCR's exam pages do not publish a fixed pass mark in advance. With no negative marking, the one lever you fully control is coverage: answer all 200 statements.

When is the FRCR Physics exam?

Three times a year: March, June and September. Booking closes well before the sitting, so check the RCR's exam pages for the current dates. Every published date, booking window and results day: FRCR exam dates.

Can I cancel?

Yes, from your account, at any time. The subscription renews each month until you cancel it.

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