Active samples pose additional difficulties; safe handling and sample preparation, transport, shielding, and disposal may all add to the experimental complexity. The standard methods of reducing operator exposure include limiting the amount or size of the sample, increasing the distance from the sample to the operator, limiting exposure time, and the use of shielding [63].

For SANS and texture measurements, the sample size can be favourably small (*10 mm3 in some cases). The sample size in radiography is generally defined by the project scope and the scale of the component to be imaged. When measuring residual stresses, reducing the sample size changes the constraint conditions which can significantly alter the measured residual stress; there are simplified methods of assessing the allowable sample size [64]. An additional issue is that reducing sample size by cutting active samples increases operator exposure and leads to active waste. All these factors must be considered for the safe conduct of the experiment and as well as additional conditions subject to the safety policy of the laboratory. However, in order to understand the real effects of neutron irradiation damage to reactor materials the benefits can sometimes outweigh the complexities involved. By nature, neutron facilities have detailed radiological safety procedures already in place, making the study of radioactive samples perhaps more viable than at other facilities.