Editing Health physics (section)

{{Short description|Branch of physics focused on radiation protection}}
{{Hatnote|For the academic journal of the same name, see [[Health Physics (journal)]].}}
[[File:Hppost3.jpg|thumb|right|325px|alt=Health Physics for your protection.|1947 [[Oak Ridge National Laboratory]] poster.]]

'''Health physics,''' also referred to as the science of [[radiation protection]], is the profession devoted to protecting people and their environment from potential [[radiation]] hazards, while making it possible to enjoy the beneficial uses of radiation. Health physicists normally require a four-year bachelor’s degree and qualifying experience that demonstrates a professional knowledge of the theory and application of radiation protection principles and closely related sciences. [http://hps.org/documents/whatisanHP_ps029-0.pdf Health physicists] principally work at facilities where [[radionuclide]]s or other sources of [[ionizing radiation]] (such as [[X-ray generator]]s) are used or produced; these include research, industry, education, medical facilities, nuclear power, military, environmental protection, enforcement of government regulations, and decontamination and decommissioning—the combination of education and experience for health physicists depends on the specific field in which the health physicist is engaged.