1. Optimisation in Operational Radiological Protection
Contribution from the ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR)
Carl Lindvall
ISOE Chair
Presentation at the
Fourth ISOE European Workshop on Occupational Exposure at NPP:s
Lyon 24 – 26 March 2004
Carl G Lindvall

2. International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICPR)
ICRP is currently developing an evolved system of radiological protection - general recommendations
This includes A Framework for Assessing the Impact of Ionising Radiation on Non-human Species (ICRP Publication 91)
ICRP opened the process of developing an evolved system to a broad stakeholder community - actively involving the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)
Carl G Lindvall

3. Building a common understanding
ICRP is developing an evolved system of radiological protection
General recommendations
Protection of Non-Human Species
CRPPH and ISOE provides active partnership with a broad stakeholder community
Explore implications
Discuss new concepts
Road test
Carl G Lindvall

4. ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR)
The ISOE Programme has great interest in assuring that the new ICRP recommendations will be operationally useful.
To contribute to this process, the ISOE Steering Group agreed to develop a report describing current good practice in optimisation, and identifying areas where new guidance from ICRP would be helpful.
This slide is directly from the WGOR’s Terms of Reference, and describes the Group’s objective, and the four key tasks it will address.
Carl G Lindvall

5. ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR)
The Group’s task
identify the areas of operational radiological protection that should be reflected in ICRP recommendations.
illustrate how operational optimisation can be applied in practice in various situations
develop practical and operational views
provide views, on behalf of the ISOE Steering Group, to the CRPPH
This slide is directly from the WGOR’s Terms of Reference, and describes the Group’s objective, and the four key tasks it will address.
Carl G Lindvall

6. ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR)
ISOE initiative to remind the international radiological protection community of the practical aspects of radiological protection
WGOR met 4 times in 2002 – 2003
Draft report on Optimisation in Operational Radiological Protection (the professionals’ views)
Will be presented at the IRPA-11 Congress, May 2004 in Madrid, Spain
This slide is directly from the WGOR’s Terms of Reference, and describes the Group’s objective, and the four key tasks it will address.
Carl G Lindvall

7. International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICPR)
ICRP:s proposal will be presented at the IRPA 11 meeting in Madrid, May 2004
The draft proposal will be published on the ICRP web after the IRPA meeting.
ICRP will still be open for discussion and comments to the end of 2004
The final edition are expected in 2005 and to be published lat 2005 or early 2006.
Carl G Lindvall

8. ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR) General statements
The documents from the ICRP are “framework” documents, and have changed and developed during our work.
They provide discussions of guiding principles and overall concepts that the ICRP is proposing to use as the bases for its recommendations.
The details that would be necessary to fully understand the implications and ramifications of the new recommendations are not always presented.
Carl G Lindvall

9. There are no cost considerations in the ICRP documents reviewed
ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR) General statements
Cost implications that result from the proposed changes to ICRP’s recommendations are significant
There are no cost considerations in the ICRP documents reviewed
The ICRP needs to be quite clear with respect to the benefits from change, in order to optimise the efforts and costs involved with this change.
Regulatory changes carry a cost and the cost implications from the proposed changes to ICRP’s recommendations are significant.
The more direct costs involve the modification of international agreements and standards, of national regulations, and of technical specification documents.
Such simple modifications as changing ALARA to “best available protection under the prevailing circumstances” could be quite time consuming as the ALARA concept is so widely used in many regulatory and operational documents.
Indirect costs, such as the expenditures of political and social capital, or even some loss of public trust in the face of such significant change, could also be quite high.
Cost considerations are not mentioned in the draft framework documents that we have analyzed.
The implication of these potential costs is that the ICRP will need to be quite clear with respect to the benefits from change, in order to optimise the efforts and costs involved with this change.
Carl G Lindvall

10. Optimisation of Public exposure Optimisation of Worker exposure
ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR) Key issues discussed
Optimisation of Public exposure
Optimisation of Worker exposure
Empowerment of the Workforce
The use of tools in optimisation
Old-plant ALARA versus New-plant ALARA
Optimisation of decommissioning
International aspects of optimisation
Carl G Lindvall

11. The objective is the process of optimisation rather than minimisation
ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR) Optimisation of public exposure
Key messages
The objective is the process of optimisation rather than minimisation
ALARA philosophy and “best available technology (BAT)” are both tools for optimisation
Options which transfer dose from the public to the worker are not considered to be ALARA
Collective dose is an effective planning tool for comparing options - however should not be used to assess public detriment
Carl G Lindvall

12. ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR) Optimisation of worker exposure
Key messages
Optimisation is the key tool for the management of worker doses
Worker collective dose is an extremely useful tool for worker exposure management
Flexibility in individual dose management is very useful
Carl G Lindvall

13. ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR) Empowerment of the Workforce
Key messages
Work management empowers workers. Good work management leads to
Lower doses
Higher safety
Higher efficiency
Lower costs
More efficient use of resources
National and plant specific approaches may differ significantly while achieving similar objectives of work management
Includes many aspects of worker health and safety
Carl G Lindvall

14. ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR) The use of tools in optimisation
Key messages
Application of a generic level of the order of a few 10s of µSv/a, below which regulatory control could be reduced would be welcomed
Flexible guidance for the application of optimisation is needed
Carl G Lindvall

15. ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR) Old-plant ALARA versus new-plant ALARA
Key messages
Optimisation of dose, below a given dose constraint, focuses on the process, not on the results. Site-specific philosophies may be equivalent, while yielding different results
Guidance on criteria to judge effectiveness of ALARA programmes needed
Carl G Lindvall

16. ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR) Optimisation of decommissioning
Key messages
Any levels eventually chosen for clearance levels, and their regulatory control should not result in excessive worker exposures
Worker exposures should be key elements considered when national decommissioning policy is developed
Carl G Lindvall

17. ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR) International aspects of optimisation
Key messages
Level of common approaches and understanding to effectively optimise public and worker doses needs to be discussed
Management and optimisation of worker doses is the responsibility of the employer, however, the facility is responsible for optimising doses at the facility. National regulatory authority responsible for monitoring worker doses and compliance with limits
Expanding the use of practical tools, such as dose passports should be explored nationally and internationally
Carl G Lindvall

18. ISOE Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection (WGOR) Conclutions
Flexibility is a key to the operational application of radiological protection principles
It is hoped that the new ICRP recommendations will take into account current good practice, and provide guidance for optimisation in practice
The ISOE Programme will continue to follow ICRP developments, and contribute its views on operational topics
Carl G Lindvall