1. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Please read this before using presentation This presentation is based on content presented at the Mines Safety Roadshow held in October 2009 It is made available for non-commercial use (e.g. toolbox meetings) subject to the condition that the PowerPoint is not altered without permission from Resources Safety Supporting resources, such as brochures and posters, are available from Resources Safety For resources, information or clarification, please contact: RSDComms@dmp.wa.gov.au or visit www.dmp.wa.gov.au/ResourcesSafety 1

2. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Toolbox presentation Radiation safety Naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) and managing the risks 2

3. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Radiation protection – what is it? Science of protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation, which includes both particle radiation and high energy electromagnetic radiation 3

4. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Radiation protection in mining is more commonplace than you may think 40 years of mining, processing and transporting radioactive minerals AMC Bemax BHP Cable Sands Doral Hanwa Iluka Isk Minerals Jennings Lynas Rio Tinto RGC Rhone Poulenc Sons of Gwalia Talison Minerals Tiwest Western Mining Western Titanium Westralian Sands Beenup Bunbury Capel Chandala Cooljarloo Eneabba Fremantle Geraldton Gingin Greenbushes Kalgoorlie Kintyre Kwinana Mt Weld Mt Walton Narngulu Picton Pinjarra Yeelirrie 4

5. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow NORM – what is it? Naturally-occurring radioactive material (NORM) — term describing materials containing radionuclides that exist in the natural environment Parent radionuclides have decay times (half-lives) comparable with or longer than the age of the Earth, so they have always been present in the Earth’s crust and within the tissues of all living species 5

6. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow NORM – radionuclides The radionuclides of interest include long-lived radionuclides such as uranium-238 ( 238 U) uranium-235 ( 235 U) thorium-232 ( 232 Th) and their radioactive decay products such as isotopes of radium radon polonium bismuth lead and individual long-lived radionuclides such as potassium-40 ( 40 K) rubidium-87 ( 87 Rb) indium-115 ( 115 In) 6

7. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Radiation – what is it? Radiation — energy travelling through space. Sunlight, radio waves and microwaves are forms of radiation at low-frequency end of energy spectrum Type of radiation created by uranium is ionizing radiation Background radiation — everyone exposed to naturally occurring ionizing radiation from space, radioactive atoms in the air, the Earth and even our own bodies Most atoms stable and will never change, but certain atoms are always changing or decaying in a process by which they eventually become stable as completely different elements (e.g. uranium will naturally turn into lead after billions of years) As an unstable atom decays, its atomic structure changes, releasing radiation as gamma rays and alpha and beta particles 7

8. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Types of ionizing radiation Alpha (α) radiation consists of a fast moving Helium-4 ( 4 He) nuclei and is stopped by a sheet of paper. Beta (β) radiation, consisting of electrons, is halted by an aluminium plate. Gamma (γ) radiation, consisting of energetic photons, is eventually absorbed as it penetrates a dense material. Neutron (n) radiation consists of free neutrons, which are blocked using light elements, like hydrogen, which slow or capture them. 8

9. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Mining radiation levels compared with other NORM exposures 9 Comparative values using 1 as typical gamma radiation level/hour in WA 1 natural background in Western Australia 3 typical for exploration site with 0.05-0.06 wt % U mineralisation (Lake Maitland) 4 natural background in some areas of Perth Hills some cement 5 typical for exploration site with 0.10 wt % U mineralisation (Lake Way) certain phosphate fertilisers 6 some ceramic tiles 7 typical for exploration site with 0.14-0.15 wt % U mineralisation (Mulga Rock) coal burning slag 10 on board a local WA flight 14 phosphate mine 16 titanium minerals

10. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Mining radiation levels compared with other NORM exposures (continued) 10 20 typical for exploration site with 0.40 wt % U mineralisation (Kintyre) 22 zirconium minerals 25 geothermal energy generation waste 40 heavy mineral sands concentrate 60 on board an international flight 80 tin concentrate 120 uranium mine or processing plant 250 rare earth mineral processing plant 400 coal mine (underground water discharge points on the surface) 500 some areas of titanium dioxide pigment plant 1000 contaminated equipment from oil and gas industry 2500 rare earth mineral (monazite)

11. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Mining radiation exposure levels in perspective **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** **************************************** ********** ***** Amount of radiation (1000 mSv) that may cause you serious harm Maximum radiation exposure limit in one year (50 mSv) Typical radiation dose a worker could receive at a uranium mine (5 mSv/year) 11

12. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow What is special about ionizing radiation? Everyone exposed to radiation, often without knowing it Human senses cannot detect it Historical association with nuclear activities Impossible to determine if there is exposure level below which there is no effect ARPANSA 12

13. Uranium 238 decay Main difference between exploration phase and mining phase is the chemical processing used in mining to extract uranium Processing frees up decay products that remain in waste and can cause health or environmental issues if not managed correctly 13

14. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow What are the relative risks of radiation exposure? Relative risk of 1-in-a-million chances of dying from activities common to our society Smoking 1.4 cigarettes (lung cancer) Eating 40 tablespoons of peanut butter Spending 2 days in Sydney CBD (air pollution) Driving 65 kilometres in a car (accident) Flying 4000 kilometres in a jet (accident) Canoeing for 6 minutes Receiving 0.1 mSv of radiation (cancer) 14

15. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Radiation Worker's Handbook More information on radiation protection available in Radiation Workers’ Handbook Download from Australian Uranium Association http://aua.org.au/ 15

16. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow 16 Regulation of U mining in WA based on national and international standards

17. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Exemptions Dose limits Monitoring requirements Radiation management plan Radiation Safety Officer Defects Notifications Supervised and controlled areas Young and pregnant persons Designated employees Dose reduction Exposure control MSIR Part 16 – Radiation safety 17

18. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Respiratory protection Reporting Record keeping Approvals Import and removal of radioactive material Storage Stockpile control Waste disposal Using best technology Discharges Abandonment MSIR Part 16 – Radiation safety (continued) 18

19. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Radiation management plan (RMP) 16.7. Preparation of radiation management plan (1) Each responsible person at a mine must ensure that a plan for the safe management of radiation at the mine that complies with subregulation (2) is prepared — (a) in the case of an existing mine, as soon as is practicable after the commencement day; or (b) in any other case, before mining operations commence at the mine. 19

20. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Company and site details Employee workgroup details Type of activity (drilling, mining, processing) Work and hygiene practices Radiation monitoring equipment Activity and personnel monitoring Storage of radioactive material Disposal of radioactive material Decontamination of equipment Recording of monitoring data Reporting to regulators Environmental considerations and site radiological clean up Training Transport of radioactive material Pre- and post-activity background monitoring (including ground water sampling where practical) RMP complexity Processing > Mining >> Exploration RMP - minimum requirements 20

21. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow NORM Guidelines - Preparation of RMP 21

22. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow System of radiation protection 22

23. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow General principles of dose control Radiation Type (Dose pathway) ControlsMonitoring GammaTime, distance, shieldingPersonal TLD badges, survey meters 23 Personal TLD badge

24. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow General principles of dose control Radiation Type (Dose pathway) ControlsMonitoring GammaTime, distance, shieldingPersonal TLD badges, survey meters Alpha emitters in airborne dust Dust suppression, extraction systems, PPE Personal air samplers 24 Personal air sampler

25. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow General principles of dose control Radiation Type (Dose pathway) ControlsMonitoring GammaTime, distance, shieldingPersonal TLD badges, survey meters Alpha emitters in airborne dust Dust suppression, extraction systems, PPE Personal air samplers Radon decay productsVentilation, PPEWorkplace air sampling 25 Workplace air sampler

26. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow General principles of dose control Radiation Type (Dose pathway) ControlsMonitoring GammaTime, distance, shieldingPersonal TLD badges, survey meters Alpha emitters in airborne dust Dust suppression, extraction systems, PPE Personal air samplers Radon decay productsVentilation, PPEWorkplace air sampling Ingestion of dustPersonal and crib room cleanliness Surface alpha contamination surveys Ensure monitoring instruments are accurately calibrated and working correctly 26

27. 2009 Mines Safety Roadshow Use hierarchy of controls What PPE is likely to be used? Overalls, safety glasses, P2 dust mask, safety boots, gloves Importance of good hygiene Personal and clothing Safe work practices 27