IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency PGEC Part VI Planned Exposure Situations - Generic Requirements Module VI.2 Requirements for occupational exposure in planned exposure situations Postgraduate Educational Course in radiation protection and the Safety of Radiation sources

IAEA  This module will discuss the BSS generic requirements for occupational exposure in planned exposure situations:  Scope of the requirements  Requirements and Responsibilities of the relevant parties, specific to occupational exposure:  Radiation protection programme  Assessment of the occupational exposure and health surveillance of workers  Education and training  Special arrangements for workers Overview of Module VI.1 2

IAEA Introduction  Planned exposure situations involve the deliberate introduction and operation of sources. Planned exposure situations may give rise normal exposures & potential exposures  Planned exposure situations may be sub-divided into: Occupational Exposure Occupational Exposure Public Exposure Public Exposure Medical Exposure Medical Exposure Occupational Exposure  This module discusses Planned Exposure Situations - Occupational Exposure 3

IAEA Scope  The BSS requirements in respect of occupational exposure in planned exposure situations apply to occupational exposure due to a practice or a source within a practice, emergency exposure situations (as required in Section 4 of the BSS) existing exposure situations (as required in Section 5 of the BSS). Exposure due to natural sources - as shown in next slide 4

IAEA occupational exposure includes the following  Exposure due to material in any relevant practice where the activity concentration in the material of any radionuclide in the uranium or thorium decay chains is greater than 1 Bq/g or the activity concentration of 40 K is greater than 10 Bq/g;  Exposure due to 222 Rn and its progeny and 220 Rn and its progeny in workplaces in which occupational exposure due to other radionuclides in the uranium or thorium decay chains is controlled as a planned exposure situation;  Exposure due to 222 Rn and 222 Rn progeny where the annual average activity concentration of 222 Rn in air in the workplace remains above the appropriate reference level (not exceeding 1000 Bq/m 3 ) after activity concentrations of 222 Rn in workplaces have been made are as low as reasonably achievable below the reference level and protection optimized 5

IAEA Requirement 19: Responsibilities of the regulatory body specific to occupational exposure  The government or regulatory body shall establish and enforce requirements to ensure that protection and safety is optimized, and the regulatory body shall enforce compliance with dose limits for occupational exposure.  Establish the responsibilities of employers, registrants and licensees with regard to application of the requirements for occupational exposure in planned exposure situations.  Review, before authorization, supporting documents from the responsible parties regarding design aspects relating to the exposure and potential exposure of workers; and design of systems and programmes for monitoring of workers for occupational exposure 6

IAEA Requirement 20: Requirements for monitoring and recording of occupational exposure  The regulatory body shall establish and enforce requirements for the monitoring and recording of occupational exposures in planned exposure situations The regulatory body shall be responsible, as appropriate, for:  Establishment and enforcement of requirements for the monitoring, recording and control of occupational exposures  Review of monitoring programmes of registrants and licensees,  Authorization or approval of service providers for individual monitoring and calibration services;  Review of periodic reports on occupational exposure submitted by employers, registrants and licensees;  Provision for maintaining exposure records and results of the assessment of doses from occupational exposure; 7

IAEA Requirement 21: Responsibilities of employers, registrants and licensees for the protection of workers  Employers, registrants and licensees shall be responsible for the protection of workers against occupational exposure. Employers, registrants and licensees shall ensure that protection and safety is optimized and that the dose limits for occupational exposure are not exceeded. 8 Safety Fundamental Principle 1: Responsibility for safety The prime responsibility for safety must rest with the person or organization responsible for facilities and activities that give rise to radiation risks “The prime responsibility for safety must rest with the person or organization responsible for facilities and activities that give rise to radiation risks.”

IAEA Requirement 22: Compliance by workers  Workers shall fulfil their obligations and carry out their duties for protection and safety  Workers should not knowingly expose themselves, or any other person, to ionising radiation to an extent greater than is reasonably necessary for the purposes of their work.  Workers should exercise reasonable care while carrying out their work, including complying with Local Rules 9

IAEA Requirement 23: Cooperation between employers and registrants and licensees  Employers and registrants and licensees shall cooperate to the extent necessary for compliance by all responsible parties with the requirements for protection and safety  If workers employer is not in control of a radiation source, then the registrant or licensee responsible for that source and the employer have to cooperate to the extent necessary for compliance by both parties with the BSS requirements 10

IAEA Requirement 24: Arrangements under the radiation protection programme  Employers, registrants and licensees shall establish and maintain organizational, procedural and technical arrangements for the designation of controlled areas and supervised areas, for local rules and for monitoring of the workplace, in a radiation protection programme for occupational exposure.  The first step towards defining an RPP is to perform a prior radiological evaluation of the practice or installation - both normal and potential exposures. 11

IAEA Radiation protection programme  Should be commensurate with of the type of installation concerned (ranging from ‘simple’ ones such as a dental x-ray to much more complex ones such as nuclear facilities).  May relate to all phases of a practice (design to decommissioning) but usually emphasis given to operational aspects.  Should always include protection workers, and may well need to cover protection of the public as well.  Has to cover: Classification of areas: controlled areas & supervised areas Local rules and procedures and personal protective equipment Monitoring of the workplace 12

IAEA Classification of areas Controlled areas areas requiring specific measures for controlling normal exposures, preventing spread of contamination or preventing potential exposures Supervised areas areas where exposure conditions need to be kept under review

IAEA Classification of areas  Registrants and licensees have to formally designate workplaces as ‘Controlled Area’ or ‘Supervised Area'  Account has to be taken of the magnitudes of the exposures expected in normal operation, the likelihood and magnitude of exposures in anticipated operational occurrences and in accident conditions, and the type and extent of the procedures required for protection and safety.  account could also be taken of operational experience in relation to potential for internal and external exposures, and potential for spread of contamination  area designation may be made at the facility design stage 14

IAEA Requirements for areas controlledsupervisedarea Local rules: Protective clothing if in local rules Delineate : Display trefoil symbol not necessary Approved signs: Access restriction: not necessary Dosimetry: not necessary Monitoring: Periodic Review

IAEA Occupational Exposure Protection  Local rules should include: name of person(s) responsible for supervising the work description of controlled and supervised areas general radiation safety measures, and written rules and procedures ensuring safety investigation levels and procedures to follow if they are exceeded information to workers on the health risks female workers / pregnancy information, instructions and training concerning emergencies

IAEA Personal protective equipment  Personal protective equipment (PPE) protection and safety during normal operations should not be based on personal protective equipment (engineered features or administrative controls are preferred) Where PPE is appropriate, adequate and suitable PPE has to be made available by employers, registrants and licensees 17 7 PPE includes: Protective clothing; Respiratory protective equipment Protective aprons, protective gloves and eye shields;

IAEA protective gloves  Gloves are often an important part of personal protection.  Workers should check to ensure the absence of cracks or small holes in the gloves before each use.  In order to prevent the unintentional spread of contamination, gloves should be removed before leaving the work area and before handling such things as telephones, doorknobs, etc 18

IAEA Monitoring of the workplace  workplace monitoring has to be under the supervision of a radiation protection officer or qualified expert  The RPO or QE needs to consider; o Measurement methods and procedures o Quantities to be measured o Place and time-scale of measurements o Reference levels and actions if exceeded  Purpose of monitoring: Evaluation of the radiological conditions in all workplaces; Assessment of exposures in controlled areas and supervised areas; Review of the classification of controlled areas and supervised areas; 19

IAEA 20 Neutron survey Electronic dosimeter Gamma survey Contamination survey Typical workplace monitoring instruments

IAEA workplace monitoring records It is good practice to: Record results in a dedicated monitoring log. Indicate the location, date, name of person performing the survey. Record instrument used (model and serial number). Record readings (mSv/hr, cpm or cps) Include appropriate diagrams or sketches. 21

IAEA Requirement 25: Assessment of occupational exposure and workers’ health surveillance  Employers, registrants and licensees shall be responsible for making arrangements for assessment and recording of the occupational exposure and for workers’ health surveillance Occupational exposure assessment Records of occupational exposure Workers’ health surveillance 22

IAEA assessment of occupational exposure The measurement and assessment of occupational exposure can include one or more of: whole-body or part-body doses arising from external radiation (notably X-rays, gamma rays, beta particles or neutrons); the assessment of doses from intakes of specified classes of radionuclides; the assessment of doses following an accident or other incident 23

IAEA Occupational exposure assessment 24  Types of personal dosemeter: Passive: TLD or film body badges Active: Pocket ion chamber and electronic pocket dosimeters  None of the above dosimeters can detect very low energy beta emitters (e.g. tritium)  Passive dosimeters cannot be used for contamination surveys  Useful to have pre-set alarms and specified turn back values

IAEA Occupational exposure assessment  Individual exposure assessment required for all those who work in controlled areas  May be used for those working in supervised areas (or use workplace monitoring & occupancy)  May require assessment of beta, gamma and neutron dose  Extremity dose or air sampling may be needed  Purpose of monitoring is to demonstrate that exposures are adequately controlled  Records of individual monitoring must be kept 25

IAEA Records of occupational exposure  Employers, registrants and licensees have to maintain a formal dose record for each worker - to ensure that all assessed doses are properly recorded and summed, and compliance with limits is checked  Records must be maintained during and after the worker’s working life, at least until age of 75y, and for not less than 30 years after being subject to occupational exposure.  Records should Demonstrate compliance with requirements Identify significant changes in work environment Give details of radiation surveys and occupancy where appropriate Record reports on workplace where compliance with standards could be adversely affected Detail any appropriate action taken Be accessible by individual worker and by the Regulatory Body 26

IAEA Records of occupational exposure The exposure records should include Information on nature of work involving occupational exposure Information on doses, exposures and intakes at or above recording levels and data from which the doses have been evaluated In case of work under different employers, information on doses, exposure periods and dates of exposure under each employer Records of any doses due to emergency and or accidental situation should be distinguished from normal work doses with reference to any relevant investigations and maintained  It 27

IAEA 28 Health surveillance records should be confidential and preserved in a manner approved by the Regulatory Body. The minimum period of record keeping should be the lifetime of the worker concerned, but longer preservation may be advisable. Workers’ health surveillance Primary purpose of health surveillance is to assess the initial and continuing fitness of employees for their intended tasks - based on general principles of occupational health Employers, registrants and licensees have to provide the following with access to workers’ records of occupational exposure:  supervisor of the programme for workers’ health surveillance,  the regulatory body  the relevant employer

IAEA Requirement 26: Information, instruction and training  Employers, registrants and licensees shall provide workers with adequate information, instruction and training for protection and safety.  They have to provide adequate information on health risks due to occupational exposure in normal operation, anticipated operational occurrences and accident conditions,  Also provide adequate instruction and training and periodic retraining in protection and safety, and adequate information on the significance of worker’s actions for protection and safety;  Additional provision for workers who could be involved in or affected by the response to an emergency  They have to maintain records of the training provided to individual workers. 29

IAEA Requirement 27: Conditions of service  Employers, registrants and licensees shall not offer benefits as substitutes for measures for protection and safety.  Conditions of service of workers have to be independent of whether workers are or could be subject to occupational exposure  Extra salary or other benefits are not to be used as substitutes for proper protection and safety  Employers have to make all reasonable efforts to provide workers with suitable alternative employment when they are not allowed further occupational exposure 30

IAEA Requirement 28: Special arrangements  Employers, registrants and licensees shall make special arrangements for female workers, as necessary, for protection of the embryo or fetus and of breast-fed infants. Employers, registrants and licensees shall make special arrangements for protection and safety for persons under 18 years of age who are undergoing training. Female worker are provided with information on t he risk to the embryo or fetus due to exposure of a pregnant woman, and the importance for a female worker of notifying her employer if she suspects that she is pregnant or if she is breast-feeding; 31

IAEA Special arrangements Employers have to adapt working conditions as may be necessary for the protection of embryo or foetus. Pregnancy is not a reason to exclude a female worker from work.  Employers, registrants and licensees have to ensure that no person under 16 years are not occupational exposed.  They also have to ensure that persons under 18 years are allowed access to a controlled area only under supervision and only for the purpose of training for employment or for studies in which sources are used. 32

IAEA 33 Assessment of Occupational Exposure Due to Intakes of Radionuclides, RS-G-1.2, IAEA (1999). Assessment of Occupational Exposure Due to External Sources of Radiation, Safety Guide RS-G-1.3 IAEA (1999). Optimization of Radiation Protection in the Control of Occupational Exposure, Safety Reports Series No 21, IAEA (2002) Assessing the need for radiation protection measures in work involving minerals and raw materials, Safety Reports Series No. 49, IAEA (2006). Further information