How long must occupational dose records be preserved?

• A. for one year
• B. for three years
• C. there is no requirement
• D. indefinitely

Answer: (D)

Keeping occupational dose records indefinitely ensures a complete, verifiable history of a worker’s radiation exposure. Regulatory and safety programs rely on knowing the full lifetime dose to assess risk, support medical surveillance, and provide accurate data if the worker changes jobs, pursues licenses, or makes future regulatory or compensation inquiries. Shorter retention periods like one year or three years fail to capture exposures accumulated over a long career, and there is a regulatory expectation to preserve these records for the individual’s lifetime. Therefore, indefinite retention is the correct practice.