A&L Shielding Inc.

INTRODUCTION

History and Background

A & L Shielding Inc. began operation in Rome, Georgia, in 1958. Products manufactured are used for radiation shielding in a variety of applications. Markets served include the United States, Central America, and Middle Eastern countries.

A & L operates in company-owned facilities dedicated to the environmentally safe manufacture of lead products. The design of the A & L plant ensures it will continue to be a responsible member of the community as environmental regulations evolve in the years ahead.

Products include standard shielding items and custom designs. Standard items are described in the following pages. Custom products exist in a wide variety, making illustration difficult.

A & L designs and constructs these custom products in a wide variety of shielding shapes in both solid lead and in lead covered in steel or other rigid material.

Please consider our firm for both normal shielding products and any special items you may need.

Shielding Overview

Protection against external radiation is a combination of providing a sufficient distance from the radiation source, limiting the time of exposure to the radiation, and imposing a protective shield between the source and the object to be protected.

The design of a radiation protective shield will depend on such factors as the type and characteristics of the radiation source, the type of installation, and the properties of the shielding system being used.

There are a number of excellent radiological handbooks to aid the physicist in the design of these protective systems. NCRP Reports No. 49 and 116 are two examples. These are available from NCRP Publications, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, Md. 20814. Another source is USNRC 10CFR Part 20, to be used in conjunction with NCRP reports as required by State Regulations.

The user must determine specific shielding requirements before an order is placed. We recommend the use of a qualified radiation physicist in the user's area for this work.

Uses, Applications

Lead shielding represents a practical approach to the need for protection from X-Ray radiation. Its uniform density, high atomic number, level of stability, ease of fabrication, high degree of flexibility in application, and its availability at reasonable cost are principal factors.

Lead can also serve as a sound attenuation medium due to its high density and ease of incorporation in common building materials.

Lead sheets are available in sizes from 1/32” to 1”. They are built into various structural objects such as walls and doors to give necessary shielding protection. Adequate physical support is required when sheet lead is applied to a vertical surface or to a horizontal surface such as a ceiling.

For thicknesses at 1” and above, lead plate is available. Since lead plate is difficult to handle, layers of thinner sheets are often used to achieve the same shielding levels.

An alternate to lead plate at these higher thicknesses is shaped lead brick, designed to interlock to provide a continuous shield that can be field assembled by hand.

Restrictions

Limitations on the use of lead for shielding purposes include the need for lead to be protected from public contact after installation for both environmental and health reasons. Lead sheet, plate and brick are normally installed behind other materials and away from exposure to the public.

Installers should be trained in safe handling of lead and must observe proper techniques for installation and cleanup.

Disposal of all scrap lead must be handled in an environmentally responsible manner.

Consult the factory for information and assistance in any aspect of installation when this need arises.