Health and Safety Executive

Health and Safety Executive

Dose limitation –

Estimated Impacts

James Taylor

OEWG Meeting 11 November 2014

DL1 Establish dose constraints for occupational exposure

• Current requirement – dose constraints to be used at the planning stage.

• BSS requirement – dutyholders may decide when dose constraints should be used.

HSE estimated impact

• Minor – dose constraints usually set at planning stage

• Costs – familiarisation only

DL2 Dose limitation – under 18’s

• Current arrangement – doesn’t address dose limits for under 18s who are not trainees. – Young persons cannot be designated

classified persons.

• BSS requirement – young persons under 18 cannot carry out work where exposure to ionising radiation is likely. – 6mSv limit applies to apprentices and

students working with radiation sources as part of their studies

HSE estimated impact

• Minor – unlikely that under 18s who are not trainees will be in employment.

• Costs – familiarisation only

DL3 Dose limitation –5 year averaging

• Current arrangement – to notify HSE of use of 5 year averaging for whole body dose.

• BSS requirement – competent authority to authorise the use of 5 year averaging

HSE estimated impact

• Whole body dose – minor, HSE no evidence that five year averaging has ever been used

• Eye dose - effects previously considered by OEWG

• Costs – whole body dose, familiarisation only.

DL4 Annual dose limits for occupational exposure

• Current arrangements – set dose limits for certain groups such as women of reproductive capacity, medical exposure, and public dose limit for hands, forearms, feet and ankles.

• BSS requirement – dose limits for the above groups do not appear within the Directive.

HSE proposal and estimated impact

• Proposal – to keep dose limit for medical exposure only (non-comforter and carer).

• Impact – none as it is not evident that the dose limits for women of reproductive capacity or for hands, feet etc, are being or have been used.

• Costs – none.

DL5 Dose limits – international issues

• New recommendations – IAEA recommend that under 16’s prohibited from incurring occupational exposure.

HSE proposal and estimated impact

• Proposal – new regulations to reflect the IAEA recommendation.

• Impact – none, unlikely that under 16’s would be working in such an environment.

• Costs – none.

DL6 Occupational dose limit for the lens of the eye

• Current arrangements – dose limit is 150mSv in a calendar year.

• BSS requirement – dose limit 20mSv in a single year or may be averaged over 5 year period, subject to a maximum dose of 50mSv in a single year.

HSE proposal and estimated impact

• To carry out further research to examine the possible effects of the change.

• To refine impact assessment developed with OEWG during the negotiation phase.