Which statement best describes the dose limit for occupational exposures?

• A. An occupational exposure limit of 25 rem.
• B. An occupational exposure limit of 5 rem.
• C. An occupational exposure limit of 10 rem.
• D. An occupational exposure limit of 1 rem.

Answer: (B)

Occupational dose limits are set to protect workers from the risks of ionizing radiation while allowing necessary work. The standard annual limit for those exposed to radiation in the workplace is five rem per year (about 50 millisieverts). This level balances the need to perform tasks with keeping cancer risk from radiation at a reasonable level over a working lifetime. Among common options, five rem matches the established occupational limit, while higher numbers would exceed the guideline and a lower one would be below the standard threshold. In real settings, exposures are tracked yearly and kept as low as reasonably achievable to minimize risk.