1. 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
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2. Toolbox presentation
Radiation safety Naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) and managing the risks

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. 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

8. Types of ionizing radiation
Alpha (α) radiation consists of a fast moving Helium-4 (4He) 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.

9. Mining radiation levels compared with other NORM exposures
Comparative values using 1 as typical gamma radiation level/hour in WA
1 natural background in Western Australia
3 typical for exploration site with 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 wt % U mineralisation (Mulga Rock)
coal burning slag
10 on board a local WA flight
14 phosphate mine
16 titanium minerals

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

11. Mining radiation exposure levels in perspective
Typical radiation dose a worker could receive
at a uranium mine (5 mSv/year)
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**********
Maximum radiation
exposure limit
in one year (50 mSv)
Amount of radiation
(1000 mSv) that
may cause you
serious harm
Green stars: Typical radiation dose a worker could receive at a uranium mine (5 mSv/year)
Blue stars: Maximum radiation exposure limit in one year (50 mSv/year)
Orange stars: Amount of radiation that may cause you serious harm (1000 mSv)
Person receiving normal background radiation dose would have two and a half stars.

12. 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

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

14. 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)

15. Radiation Worker's Handbook
More information on radiation protection available in Radiation Workers’ Handbook
Download from Australian Uranium Association

16. Regulation of U mining in WA based on national and international standards
United Nations is one of the main international organisations that promote radiation safety knowledge. They host several bodies for radiation protection including
IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)
International Commission for Radiation Protection – ICRP
United Nations Science Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation – UNSCEAR
In Australia we have the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Science Agency - ARPANSA
ARPANSA publishes
Code of practice for radiation protection and waste management in mining and mineral processing
Code of practice for the safe transport of radioactive materials

17. MSIR Part 16 – Radiation safety
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 is much more prescriptive than the Radiation Safety (General) Regulations as it is specific for mining.
Deals with a range of radiation safety requirements.

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

19. 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.
Uranium exploration and mining companies are now required to prepare a radiation management plan
Regulations were changed in July 2009 to remove previous exemptions
In general, public has a high expectation that exploration companies operate in sustainable, environmentally appropriate way

20. RMP - minimum requirements
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
Keep “motherhood” statements to commitments and introduction.
Include your “Standard Operating Procedures” – remember there is a lot of guidance material readily accessible.
Plan does not have to be a single document, it can be made up of several documents.
Plan can be prepared to be used on several sites.
Basically, you need to do a risk assessment to work out where to put in the effort
Usually, extra monitoring is undertaken to get an initial feel for the radiation exposures
The amount of detail covered by the RMP should be proportional to the risk of radiation exposure and/or environmental contamination, and the size of the operation.
In general, on exploration sites the radiation exposures are very low
Sometimes monitoring is undertaken with badges to show that there is no exposure.
Mining and processing require more detail because of the increased risk

21. NORM Guidelines - Preparation of RMP
The department has radiation safety guidelines available for download in the occupational health area of Resources Safety webpage.
Revised version is posted in legislation and policy section. We invite comments on the drafts by 30 November 2009.

22. System of radiation protection
This table is from NORM 1- system for radiation protection
Engineering must be used in the firsthand to reduce radiation exposure
What radiation exposure can’t be engineered out, administrative controls must be put in place to take care of the rest

23. General principles of dose control
Radiation Type
(Dose pathway)
Controls
Monitoring
Gamma
Time, distance, shielding
Personal TLD badges, survey meters
Personal TLD badge

24. General principles of dose control
Radiation Type
(Dose pathway)
Controls
Monitoring
Gamma
Time, distance, shielding
Personal TLD badges, survey meters
Alpha emitters in airborne dust
Dust suppression, extraction systems, PPE
Personal air samplers
Personal air sampler 24

25. General principles of dose control
Radiation Type
(Dose pathway)
Controls
Monitoring
Gamma
Time, distance, shielding
Personal TLD badges, survey meters
Alpha emitters in airborne dust
Dust suppression, extraction systems, PPE
Personal air samplers
Radon decay products
Ventilation, PPE
Workplace air sampling
Workplace air sampler 25

26. General principles of dose control
Radiation Type
(Dose pathway)
Controls
Monitoring
Gamma
Time, distance, shielding
Personal TLD badges, survey meters
Alpha emitters in airborne dust
Dust suppression, extraction systems, PPE
Personal air samplers
Radon decay products
Ventilation, PPE
Workplace air sampling
Ingestion of dust
Personal and crib room cleanliness
Surface alpha contamination surveys
Ensure monitoring instruments are
accurately calibrated and working correctly
For all monitoring, it is important that all monitoring equipment is calibrated and working correctly 26

27. Safe work practices 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
Overalls, safety glasses, P2 dust mask, safety boots, gloves
Important – wash hands and face before eating and smoking
Shower and change after work, wash clothes after use 27