Where should an additional badge be worn for pregnant workers requesting monitoring?

• A. Underneath lead aprons
• B. On the belt
• C. On the hat
• D. On the wrist

Answer: (A)

When a pregnancy monitoring plan is in place, the goal is to estimate the dose reaching the fetus. A second dosimeter—the fetal badge—is placed at the level of the abdomen underneath the lead apron. This position sits behind shielding, so the badge reads the amount of radiation that could reach the fetus after the apron’s shielding is taken into account. The main dosimeter that stays outside the apron continues to measure overall occupational exposure, but it doesn’t specifically reflect fetal dose. Placing the fetal badge anywhere else (belt, hat, wrist) wouldn’t provide an accurate estimate of the fetus’s exposure.