Basics of Radiation Protection (Control of Public Exposure)

Dose limits for public exposure are also complied with by medical institutions.

For the general public, dose limits are set at 1 mSv max. per year, with the objective of assuring the safety of all residents, from infants to the elderly. This limit is applied not only at nuclear power stations but at all radiation-related facilities including medical institutions and research institutions.
It is assumed that residents live at the property line of the facility (the neighboring rooms in the case of medical offices in buildings and multistory apartments) for 24 hours per day. In the case of Japan, the 1.0 mSv dose is added to the exposure from natural radiation of 2.0 mSv per year.