1. ISOE Information System on Occupational Exposure: An Overview
Brian Ahier, Ted Lazo (ISOE Joint Secretariat , OECD Nuclear Energy Agency)
2007 Asian Regional ALARA Symposium

2. ISOE Context
“... the exchange and analysis of information on individual and collective radiation doses to the personnel of nuclear installations and to the employees of contractors, as well as on dose-reduction techniques, is essential to implement effective dose-control programmes and to apply the ALARA principle...”
(ISOE Terms and Conditions)

3. ISOE Objective
To provide a forum for radiation protection professionals from both utilities and regulatory authorities to share world-wide dose reduction information and operational experience and coordinate international cooperative projects to improve the optimisation of worker radiological protection at nuclear power plants.

4. ISOE Background Launched in 1992 by the OECD-NEA
Participation of IAEA since 1993
15 years of operation and experience:
A comprehensive resource for optimising exposure management by collecting and sharing data and experience, benchmarking, analyses, and networking through symposia, meetings and internet.
Promoted and sponsored by NEA and IAEA

5. ISOE Programme
A global occupational exposure data collection, analysis and experience exchange network:
world’s largest occupational exposure DB for commercial NPPs
A global information exchange programme for sharing dose reduction and work management information and experience
ISOE products support
dose trend analyses and benchmarking,
technique comparisons, and
technical analyses that
facilitate the application of ALARA and good work management in local radiation protection programmes.

6. ISOE Membership
Since 1992, membership and detail of data have increased as benefits of participation became widely known
Official members (2006):
69 Utilities in 29 countries
333 operating reactor units;
40 shutdown units
26 Authorities in 25 countries
4 Technical Centres manage the technical operations, support, data collection & analyses
Trends in Number of Participating Reactors

7. ISOE Structure – A Closer Look
ISOE Steering Group
ISOE Bureau
NEA Committee on Radiation
Protection and Public Health
Joint NEA & IAEA
Secretariat
Specialised Working Groups
National
Coordinators
Global Membership
Asian Members
Asian Technical Centre (JNES)
European Members
European Technical Centre (CEPN)
North American
Members
North American Technical
Centre
Members from
Non-OECD Countries
IAEA Technical Centre

8. ISOE Products ISOE Databases Technical Analyses Technical Support
World’s largest database on occupational
exposure data from nuclear power plants
Technical Analyses
Detailed studies and analysis on current issues in occupational radiation protection
Technical Support
Worldwide response to special requests; voluntary benchmark visits
Annual Reports
Yearly overview of exposure trends and
ISOE achievements
ISOE Symposia
A forum for discussing occupational exposure management issues
ISOE Network
An international information exchange website on ALARA resources for ISOE members

9. ISOE Databases
World’s largest database on occupational
exposure data from nuclear power plants
Based on annual collection of occupational dose data from all members
Includes information on occupational exposure levels and trends at
481 units in 29 countries (404 operating; 77 shutdown or decommissioned)
Available to all members for dose trends analysis, benchmarking, etc.
Distributed annually on CD, and
Routinely updated on ISOE website
Maintained by ETC

10. ISOE Databases Data types include:
Dose information for operating units, e.g., annual collective doses for normal operations, maintenance/ refuelling/ unplanned outages
Dose information for units shut down or being decommissioned.
Plant-specific information pertinent to dose reduction
RP related information for specific operations, procedures, equipment or tasks

11. ISOE Databases

12. Technical Analysis
Detailed studies and analysis on current issues in occupational radiation protection
ISOE data and experience provide an ideal basis for studies and analyses on issues in operational RP such as doses related to certain jobs and tasks (e.g., refuelling, steam generator replacement, etc).
Technical Centre Information Sheets: Detailed studies and analyses on current issues in operational radiation protection
Recent topics: regional dosimetric results, trends in outage duration, surveys on practices regarding internal contamination management.
Working Group on Data Analysis (WGDA): Identifies and reports on various technical analyses of the ISOE data, experience or issues relating to operating and decommissioned reactors.
Recent topics: decommissioning, update of Work Management in the Nuclear Power Industry, benchmarking aspects for positive RP outcomes

13. Worldwide response to special requests; voluntary benchmark visits
Technical Support
Worldwide response to special requests; voluntary benchmark visits
Members are supported in their day-to-day operations by the four ISOE technical centres (Asia, Europe, North America, IAEA)
Rapid response to special technical requests
ISOE programme expanded in 2005 into organising voluntary site benchmarking visits for RP and dose reduction information exchange among members, supported by the technical centres
Activities are coordinated with the ISOE WGDA to maximise benefit to all ISOE members.
The information arising from these visits is made available to the ISOE membership through the ISOE network.
Facilitates the exchange of practical information between ISOE regions.

14. Yearly overview of exposure trends and
Annual Reports
Yearly overview of exposure trends and
ISOE achievements
Information on levels and trends of average annual collective dose at the reactors covered by the database
Special data analyses and dose studies
Information on principal events in member countries
Outage experience reports
Symposia summaries
Other ISOE activities

15. A forum for discussing occupational exposure management issues
ISOE Symposia
A forum for discussing occupational exposure management issues
Since 1997, annual International ALARA Symposium:
Large forum for world-wide information and experience exchange in ALARA implementation and exposure management
Participation of contractors and vendors
Rotates through all ISOE technical centre regions:
2006 Europe > 2007 North America > 2008 Japan > 2009 IAEA > …
Regional Symposia organised to meet local needs
Proceedings published or posted on ISOE Network

16. ISOE Network
An international information exchange website on ALARA resources for ISOE members
ISOE Network ( Information exchange website on dose reduction resources for ISOE members.
Portal for ISOE info exchange
ISOE database
Data analysis available
Data entry coming
Library of ISOE products
Address book
RP manager forum
Search and links
BUT Registration is required!
Currently ~400 registered users
Contact your NC and NEA for user account

17. A resource for ISOE Members!

18. … More functions and content after login!

19. ISOE Products: Meeting User Needs
ISOE Databases
Technical Analyses
Technical Support
ISOE Network
ISOE Symposia
World’s largest database on occupational
exposure data from nuclear power plants
Detailed studies and analysis on current issues in occupational radiation protection
Support through responses to special requests, benchmark visits
An international information exchange website on ALARA resources for ISOE members
A forum for discussing occupational exposure management issues
Annual Reports
Yearly overview of the achievements
of the ISOE Programme
User Needs?

20. Strategic Planning Working Group on Strategic Planning (2005-2006)
Looked strategically towards ISOE future and considered how it could be modified to improve its usefulness to users
Identified focus areas:
User Needs and Products
Information Exchange
Operations and Organisation
Improvements to better meet user needs as identified through strategic analysis and direct survey of end users

21. ISOE User Survey
ISOE user survey was developed as a bottom-up process to collect feedback from all ISOE end-users.
Conducted between April-June 2006 to better characterise user needs
54 completed questionnaires were received (about 180 member units and 14 members authorities).
Results were analysed for significant findings
ISOE

22. ISOE User Survey How has ISOE improved your ALARA performance?
Benchmarking, info exchange, motivation and promotion of ALARA
What ISOE product or service brings the greatest benefits?
Reports, database, symposia
What other ISOE products or information would improve dose management or regulatory involvement in ALARA Programme Review?
Contacts between participants, discussion forums, user surveys on practices
Main conclusions: users are happy with ISOE, but would like to see evolution towards even more usefulness and value:
Exchange of information/experience is of significant interest to the users.
ISOE Network will become increasingly important in reaching end users, improving information exchange, increasing the value of ISOE products.
Results available on ISOE Network

23. Summary
Unique value: important combination of global occupational dose data, dose reduction experience, analyses, information exchange and common forum of utilities and regulators.
ISOE has proved successful in helping radiation protection experts to better manage occupational exposures at nuclear power plants.
ISOE will continue to build on its experience and user feedback to make it a primary information source on exposure management for the occupational RP community

24. Looking Forward
ISOE will continue to facilitate the sharing of experience, and the building of linkages between ISOE members worldwide to develop a global approach to ALARA work management.