Many types of workers in industrial applications will be occupationally exposed to radiation. The IAEA has created the Information System on Occupational Exposure in Medicine, Industry, and Research (ISEMIR) which helps collect, analyse, and share dose assessment, operational experience, and the optimization of occupational radiation protection. This can be found here at ISEMIR.
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Workers in Industrial Applications
What are the examples of activities in industrial applications?
Radiation can be used for producing, analysing and processing a range of substances. They are used to identify and assess the properties of different materials, measure pollution levels, sterilize and disinfect components, monitor and optimize industrial processes and change chemical, physical and biological properties to produce novel materials. The following activities are subject to Regulations:
- industrial radiography.
- radioisotope production.
- well logging.
- accelerator operation.
What do I need to know?
Radiation application in Industrial are generally safe if conducted in safe manner. However, some experiences show that incident in the industrial application causes high doses to worker. Factor contributes to the high dose is the difficult working condition. This high dose to workers can be harmful unless it is properly controlled. Considering the difficult working condition, keeping the doses received by the worker as low as reasonably achievable is challenging.
What are the possible exposure pathways?
Accident can be experienced by workers who entered radiation area without being unaware of the high dose rates. There are also other potential radiation hazards from contamination from damaged radioactive sources, dislodged sources, misconduct accidents in handling sources, fires and breaches in security.
What is a Radiation Protection Programme?
The general objective of the radiation protection programme is to fulfil the management’s responsibility for protection and safety through the adoption of management structures, policies, procedures and organizational arrangements that are commensurate with the nature and extent of the risks. The radiation protection programme should cover all the main elements contributing to protection and safety. The radiation protection programme could relate to all phases of a practice or to the lifetime of a facility (i.e., from design through commissioning and operation or process control to decommissioning).
Radiation protection is only one element in ensuring the overall health and safety of workers. The radiation protection programme should be established and managed in close cooperation with those responsible for other areas of health and safety such as industrial hygiene, industrial safety and fire safety.
Who is responsible for your protection and safety?
The person or organization responsible for any facility or activity that gives rise to radiation risks shall have the prime responsibility for protection and safety, which cannot be delegated.
Organisations/employers are responsible for:
- devising, implementing, and regularly reviewing their Radiation Protection Programme.
- regulatory compliance.
- development a training programme that provides the appropriate level of training and information specific to the worker`s job assignments and also general radiation protection information.
- induction and ongoing training of workers, including contractors.
- appropriate dosimetry arrangements.
- record keeping.
What are your responsibilities to the employer and the management of the facility?
Workers are responsible for:
- Providing to the employer (and registrant or licensee, where appropriate) information on work history relevant to developing an effective protection and safety programme for the worker (and others).
- Communicating perspectives on job specific radiation risks gained from education and training, and otherwise cooperating with regard to developing and executing an effective protection and safety programme.
- Following radiation protection practices specified in local rules, procedures and in the Radiation Protection Programme, including the proper use of monitoring and personal protective equipment as described in those rules and procedures.
- Complying with legitimate instructions of the employer or designated Radiation Protection Officer;
- Participation in radiation protection training.
- Reporting to the employer or designated Radiation Protection Officer identified circumstances jeopardizing protection and safety of the worker or others.
- Abstaining from any wilful action that could put the worker or others in situations not in compliance with the requirements for protection and safety.
What are the dose limits?
The GSR Part 3 requires annual limits for public and occupational exposure to ionising radiation: <1 mSv for the members of the public and 20 mSv for workers who are occupationally exposed. Despite this, there are different definitions of who is “occupationally exposed” and who should wear personal dosimeters.