Radiation safety - is it safe?

According to risk estimating requirements doses accumulated due to various types of radiation exposure, i.e. occupational, accidental, medical, should be taken into account when risk assessment. However, due to the lack of registers meeting the requirements radiation associated risk assessment using dose of one type of exposure to radiation can give incorrect results. The aim of the study is to estimate the risk of cancer using doses of various types of exposure to radiation. We used information database of the nuclear facilities workers of the State Corporation «ROSATOM», participated in mitigation of consequences of the Chernobyl accident. We assessed radiation risks using doses received by a worker as a result of occupational exposure and the doses received by the same worker due to the work within the 30-km zone around the Chernobyl NPP. The risk values assessed with the use of a dose of one type of exposure differ from risk values calculated if doses of two types of exposure were accounted. These findings allow authors to conclude that assessment of radiation associated risk of cancer with the use of dose of only one type of exposure to radiation results in incorrect risk value. In that case radiation safety will be unsafe.