Radiation exposure in work activities – Guide to monitoring

In Part 3, Chapters 1 and 2 of the Radiation Protection Ordinance (StrlSchV), the basic obligations in terms of the protection of man and environment against natural radiation sources in work activities are laid down and the requirements for the protection from terrestrial radiation at work places are regulated.

The regulations concern

• the estimation of incurring radiation exposure,
• the reporting of work activities involving enhanced exposure to the competent authority and
• the initiation of measures to reduce radiation exposure and to determine the exposure of occupationally exposed persons.

The Directive "Work Activities" serves the nationally standardised governance in Part 3 Chapters 1 and 2 StrlSchV.

Guide

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection published a guide that is to provide basic legal and practical information to the persons responsible for radiation protection of employees.

This guide

• deals with the radiation protection concept in the case of work activities carried out in the work fields involving considerably enhanced exposures due to natural radiation sources which are listed in Annex XI StrlSchV,
• describes the tasks resulting from the regulations set out in the Radiation Protection Ordinance,
• recommends methods enabling the estimation and determination of radiation exposure in work activities,
• provides information about possibilities to reduce enhanced radiation exposure,
• gives recommendations regarding the internal organisation of radiation protection and the compliance with regulatory requirements.

The guide is to support the persons responsible for radiation protection in the selection of appropriate measures to monitor and reduce radiation exposure, in order to keep the radiation exposure of the employees as low as possible.