[Assurance of safety and personal protection of the personnel working in conditions of external radiation exposure].

The article contains detailed analysis of current scientific approaches and practical achievements in organizing personal protection of the personnel working in conditions of external radiation exposure and air and surface contamination with radioactive substances. The ways of improvement of personal protection equipment are described. The incorrectness of attempts to create PPE from gamma radiation with the energy of over 0,1 MeV--which are currently quite common--is shown. Today the challenge of creating light PPE from beta radiation and soft photon radiation becomes more urgent due to decreasing the annual equivalent dose of occupational exposure of the crystalline lens from 150 to 20 mSv proposed by IAEA. This requires creation of light and usable protective visors (goggles) from beta radiation and photon radiation with the energy of up to 0,06 MeV.