Why are reactions that emit alpha particles generally considered more safe than those that emit beta particles?

Beta particles emit gamma rays.

Alpha particles have no charge.

Beta particles travel at a very low speed.

Alpha particles can be blocked very easily.

Question

Why are reactions that emit alpha particles generally considered more safe than those that emit beta particles?

 Beta particles emit gamma rays.

 Alpha particles have no charge.

 Beta particles travel at a very low speed.

 Alpha particles can be blocked very easily.

anonymous · Answer

@BulletWithButterflyWings @e.cociuba

anonymous · Answer

@winston_salem @willray

anonymous · Answer

@some_someone @surjithayer @Saint101 @sojadiana

anonymous · Answer

@abb0t

anonymous · Answer

@Frostbite @lncognlto

frostbite · Answer

lol funny, I always consider alpha particles the most dangerous if you are very close to the source.
If longer away then they are not as dangerous as they get blocked alone by a few centimeters of air.

lncognlto · Answer

It would be the last one, alpha particles can be blocked very easily.

frostbite · Answer

But I can say the reason I consider them dangerous if on close range is because they have high energy, about 1-10 mega electron volt so the "weight factor" of radiation gets higher for alpha particles than for beta particles.