{"id":688,"date":"2011-12-07T12:18:14","date_gmt":"2011-12-07T17:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smartsign.com/blog\/?p=688"},"modified":"2021-01-05T02:19:28","modified_gmt":"2021-01-05T07:19:28","slug":"radiation-a-silent-but-deadly-danger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smartsign.com/blog\/radiation-a-silent-but-deadly-danger\/","title":{"rendered":"Radiation: A Silent but Deadly Danger"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"High<\/a>In March of 2011, the largest earthquake in the history of Japan struck. The earthquake, recorded at a magnitude of 8.9, caused a 23-foot-tsunami and more than 50 aftershocks, many of which were greater than a 6.0 magnitude. People are still reeling in the aftermath, from the 18,000 deaths to the millions of dollars in damages and massive amount of radiation<\/a> exposure.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the disaster set off what is known to be the world\u2019s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years. The Fukushima Daiichi plant had meltdowns at three of the plant\u2019s six reactors after one unit exploded and another had a fire.\u00a0 Elevated levels of radiation sparked concern. Officials issued warnings for residents not to go outside and to close windows. Nearly 180,000 people were evacuated from the plant and were submitted for testing for radiation exposure. In addition, the plant leaked about 45 tons of highly radioactive water from a purification device and a quantity found its way into the ocean.<\/p>\n

Not all radiation is harmful. There are two types:<\/p>\n

Non-ionizing<\/strong>: Includes infrared radiation, radio waves, cellphone radiation, and the radiation used to cook food in a microwave.<\/p>\n

Ionizing radiation<\/strong>: X-Rays, gamma rays, and the alpha or beta particles emitted by radioactive elements as they decay.<\/p>\n

Initial symptoms of exposure to ionizing radiation include nausea and fatigue, then vomiting. Hair loss and diarrhea follows. Heavier exposure can include destruction of intestinal lining, dehydration, central nervous system damage, loss of consciousness, and inevitably death. A bomb such as the one that occurred in Hiroshima will produce X-rays and gamma rays that can kill immediately or aggravate injuries.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, radioactive material can collect on skin and clothing, where it can emit radiation that will pierce skin. The material can also find its way to food, milk, water, and other products, which can eventually cause cancer. Though Fukushima does not emit gamma or X-irradiation, its exposure can still cause the aforementioned side effects (nausea, hair loss, cancer, etc.)<\/p>\n

A person can\u2019t see, hear, smell, or touch radiation, and therefore workers must be made aware of its dangers. Regulations according to the OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.1096 require employers to post caution signs, labels, and signals whenever radiation is present.\u00a0 The section establishes the standard radiation colors as magenta or purple on a yellow background along with the radiation caution symbol of three blades revolving around a circle.<\/p>\n

OSHA<\/a> requires that the following signs for the various types of hazards:<\/p>\n