What is the average radiation dose for station workers per year?

• A. 1000 mrem per year
• B. 200 mrem per year
• C. 500 mrem per year
• D. 760 mrem per year

Answer: (D)

Average annual dose measures how much radiation a station worker typically accumulates in a year during normal operations, not the safety limit. Safety programs aim to keep exposures as low as reasonably achievable, so the actual average stays well below the regulatory cap. A common figure used in safety training for an average worker is about 0.76 rem per year (roughly 760 millirem). This reflects that some tasks cause a bit more exposure while many others contribute very little, and when you average across all workers, you get a value around this level. The occupational exposure limit is 5 rem per year (5000 millirem), so this average is comfortably within the allowed range and illustrates how shielding, procedures, and work planning reduce dose. Thus, 0.76 rem per year is presented as a realistic representative average, while the other options are either higher than typical average or lower than what the normal workload would produce.