Sometimes the right shield for the job involves placing a shield as close to the source as possible as with pipe and valves shields, but other times the best solution is to put as much shielding as possible into a wall and create general area shielding for the workers. Lead panel shield walls and water shields have been manufactured by NPO for decades. These shields excel in reducing dose to a large area by blocking a general direction the radiation is coming from.
NPO lead panel shield walls are sheets of solid lead sandwiched between carbon or stainless steel sheets. These panels are modular and designed to link together to form walls of nearly any height and width. The shielding can be configured into a lead cave and create a low dose waiting area in the plant or used to shield exit portal monitors from shine.
Water shields offer a similar function, but with a different method. When empty, these shields are relatively light and easily moved into place. Once set, they’re filled with water which provides gamma as well as neutron shielding. NPO water shields can be built in a number of configurations that include interlocking rectangular shields and crescent shaped shields that nest into one another and curve around an area. All NPO water shields come with extendable legs to ensure a 2:1 height to base ratio.
