Item Details Requirement(s)
3) CLASSIFICATION OF PERSONNEL
Personnel who are likely to receive a significantly higher than normal ionising radiation dose in the course of their work duties should be classified. Classified personnel have their exposure to radiation monitored by an approved dosimetry service (e.g. the NRPB); in addition some employers operate their own internal dose monitoring schemes.
Employers are required to investigate where the recorded dose of any classified worker exceeds 15 mSv in one year; employers are encouraged to set their own investigation level some way below 15 mSv per year. All classified personnel shall annually be declared fit by the appointed doctor. The appointed doctor may carry out a full medical or he may consider it sufficient to base this declaration on dose records alone. There is no specific requirement for blood tests; such things are at the discretion of the appointed doctor.
1) ALL PERSONNEL AGE 18 OR OVER WHO ARE LIKELY TO EXCEED AN IONISING RADIATION DOSE OF 6 mSv PER YEAR SHALL BE CLASSIFIED. 2) ALL RADIOGRAPHERS SHALL BE CLASSIFIED. 3) A PERSON UNDER THE
AGE OF 18 CANNOT BE CLASSIFIED AND CANNOT WORK AS A RADIOGRAPHER. 4) CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL SHALL BE DECLARED FIT BY THE APPOINTED DOCTOR ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. 5) THE RECORDED
WHOLE BODY DOSE OF A CLASSIFIED WORKER SHALL NOT EXCEED 20 mSv.
6) A FORMAL
INVESTIGATION IS REQUIRED IF THE RECORDED WHOLE BODY DOSE FOR A CLASSIFIED PERSON EXCEEDS 15 mSv IN ANY PERIOD OF ONE YEAR.
4) TRAINEES The annual dose of a trainee under the age of 18 must not exceed the stated limit of 6 mSv, but it is likely to be higher than that of a general member of the public. Typically a trainee would be spending a higher than average amount of time within a supervised area.
1) THE ANNUAL IONISING RADIATION WHOLE BODY DOSE FOR A TRAINEE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 SHALL NOT EXCEED 6 mSv.
2) A PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF 18 CANNOT BE CLASSIFIED
WHOLE BODY 20 mSv (1.) (2.) (3.) 6 mSv 1 mSv(4.) LENS OF THE EYE 150 mSv 50 mSv 15 mSv
SKIN 500 mSv 150 mSv 50 mSv HANDS, FOREARMS,
FEET, ANKLES 500 mSv 150 mSv 50 mSv
NOTES
1) Where special circumstances apply – an employer is able to show that the annual limit of 20 mSv is impractical, up to 50 mSv can be received in a single calendar year but not more than 100 mSv over any five year period. Any employee exceeding these limits is likely to be suspended from work pending an
investigation by the HSE.
2) Where person in question – note 1 above, is a pregnant female the dose shall not exceed 13 mSv in any period of 3 months.
3) Where the recorded dose exceeds 20 mSv in one year the employer is required to make a formal investigation to determine whether the dose limitations of note 1 are likely to be complied with. The employer must report the matter to the HSE and must put in place a program to ensure that the dose limitations of note 1 are not exceeded.
4) For persons who act as carers to others who receiving exposure to ionising radiation for medical purposes the dose limit is 5 mSv in any five year period.
7) ANNUAL DOSE LIMITATIONS – GENERAL.
The dose limitations, items 1 to 6 above are additional to exposure to radiation for medical purposes.
Item Details Requirement(s)
8) RADIATION MONITORS Radiation monitors must be checked before use to ensure correct functioning; typically this would involve a battery check and a check to see that a reading is produced when the instrument is exposed to a source of ionising radiation. Radiation monitors must have a scale appropriate to the magnitude of the doses being measured. General good practice is to have portable monitors calibrated on an annual basis. Appropriate calibration periods can vary dependent on the type and usage of the radiation monitor in question. 1) RADIATION MONITORING EQUIPMENT SHALL BE PROPERLY MAINTAINED. 2) RADIATION MONITORING EQUIPMENT SHALL BE FIT FOR THE
DESIGNATED PURPOSE. 3) RADIATION MONITORING EQUIPMENT SHALL BE CALIBRATED AT APPROPRIATE INTERVALS.
APPENDIX 1 IONISING RADIATION REGULATIONS
Item Details Requirement(s)
9) RADIATION
PROTECTION ADVISER
Usually a person, but may be an organisation, meeting the HSE’s criteria of competence. In general the RPA must be fully aware of the company’s activities involving ionising radiation. The local rules should be approved by, if not written by the RPA. The RPA is often called upon to undertake training of the radiation protection supervisors. 1) ALL ORGANISATIONS WORKING WITH IONISING RADIATION SHALL APPOINT A RADIATION PROTECTION ADVISER. 10) RADIATION PROTECTION SUPERVISOR
A person appointed by the employer and named in the local rules to act as such. The RPS has in depth knowledge of the local rules. The RPS would generally take control where an emergency situation occurs and carry out initial investigation of any recorded or suspected overdose. General good practice requires the presence of at least one RPS where
radiography is performed at an on-site location. 1) ALL COMPANIES WORKING WITH IONISING RADIATION MUST APPOINT AT LEAST ONE RPS. 2) THE NAMES AND
CONTACT DETAILS OF ALL RPS SHALL BE LISTED IN THE LOCAL RULES
11) APPOINTED DOCTOR A registered medical
practitioner appointed in writing by the HSE.
1) ONCE A YEAR ALL CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL SHALL BE CERTIFIED FIT BY AN APPOINTED DOCTOR. 12) APPROVED DOSIMETRY SERVICE An organisation, approved in writing by the HSE, which monitors and records the ionising radiation doses of classified personnel.
1) ALL COMPANIES EMPLOYING CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL MUST CONTRACT OUT THEIR DOSE MONITORING TO AN APPROVED DOSIMETRY SERVICE COMPANY. 13) MINIMUM NOTIFICATION PERIOD
Under most circumstances all work involving the use of ionising radiation must be notified to the HSE
1) THE MINIMUM NOTIFICATION PERIOD IS 28 DAYS PRIOR TO THE PLANNED COMMENCEMENT OF WORK.
AND CHANGES IN PERSONNEL.