A Brief Overview of Radiation Safety Guidance for Airport X-Ray Security Screening

With the significant increase in security concerns worldwide, security screening for individuals and objects at airports has increased rapidly. Various technologies are being used to meet the desired security aspects, among which is the use of ionizing radiation, which is the most common. However, with the deliberate exposure of individuals to ionizing radiation in non-medical settings like security screening, the question of justification of these practices becomes a vital issue. The states are responsible for making careful decisions on justifying security screening before employing the technology. Even if a decision is made that its use is justified, the framework for radiation protection and safety needs to be utilized to minimize the harmful effects of ionizing radiation on the people and the environment. To minimize the harmful hazards, organizations like the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) publish international standards and guidelines for the safe use of ionizing radiation for security screening by inspection devices. These standards are in place to be followed by the states in the justification process and to set proper radiation protection frameworks according to their country's context. This article aims to provide a brief overview of the radiation safety aspects for airport security screening of humans in light of guidelines provided in the IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SSG-55 regarding radiation safety of non-medical human imaging in inspection purposes.