Exposure to indoor radon is a major part of the overall exposure to ionising radiation for the public and for workers, particularly those who work at specific types of workplaces. The IAEA General Safety Requirements Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources (GSR Part 3) includes provisions on radon protection. This webinar will introduce GSR Part 3 requirements related to radon in the workplace and highlight examples and experiences of workplace radon measurement in Austria. The webinar will include discussions on lessons learned, best practices and challenges.
Although there were no regulations or obligations for radon measurements in public buildings or schools and kindergartens in Austria, measurements started already in the late 1990s. About 950 schools and 700 kindergartens and 440 town halls have been surveyed in Austria so far. The focus has been mainly in Upper Austria, which is an area with elevated geogenic radon potential. With a new directive in effect since 2008, workplaces with potentially elevated radon exposures, including water works, underground workplaces, tourist mines and caves as well as radon spas, need to be monitored.
Learning objectives
During the webinar, participants will learn about:
Requirements for radon in workplaces in the IAEA GSR Part 3;
How to monitor radon in workplaces – based on selected Austrian examples; and,
Lessons learned, best practices and challenges in monitoring radon in workplaces – based on Austrian experience.
About the presenters
Valeria Gruber
Valeria Gruber is a physicist and has been working in the field of radiation protection, focused on radon, for more than 15 years. She is a senior expert at the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Department Radon and Radioecology. Her career also includes three years as a post-doc at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission for the European Atlas of Natural Radiation. Her Ph.D. focused on natural radionuclides in drinking water. Her main work interests are radon in workplaces, radon mapping and the Austrian national radon strategy.
