the australian national radiation dose register for uranium workers guilfoyle
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
The Australian National Radiation Dose Register for Uranium Workers
Robert [email protected]
Rick TinkerPaul Martin
• Dose pathways for uranium workers
• International and National dose trends
• International best practice on dose record keeping
• Australian National Radiation Dose Register
– Background
– Scope
– Objectives
– Types of data collected and how it is used
– The dose history report
• Current operational status of the ANRDR
• The future of the ANRDR2
Today
• External Gamma Radiation– from uranium ore
3
Dose Pathways for uranium workers
Source: Radiation Workers’ Handbook (Draft Edition)
• Internal Exposure to the lungs–
via inhalation of Rn‐222 gas and
Rn‐222 progeny
• Internal Exposure to the lungs and organs
–
via inhalation or ingestion of airborne radioactive dust particles
4
Uranium Miner Doses
Source: UNSCEAR 2000 Report Annex E: Occupational Radiation ExposuresUNSCEAR data for 1995‐2002 is in print and to be used as indication only.
• Long history of uranium mining in Australia• Radioactive ores first mined in Radium Hill, SA –
1906• Three currently operating uranium producing mines
in Australia– Ranger– Olympic Dam– Beverley
• More in development– Honeymoon– Four Mile– Yeelirrie
5
Uranium mining in Australia
6
National dose trend
Ranger Uranium mineSource: ERA Annual Report 2009
Australia follows the worldwide trend of
decreasing worker doses due to improved
occupational heath and safety practices and
radiation health awareness.
Exposure records for each worker shall be preserved during the worker's working life and afterwards at least until the worker attains or
would have
attained the age of 75 years, and for not less than 30 years after the termination of the work involving occupational exposure.
‐
IAEA, 1996, International Basic Safety Standards for Protection
against Ionizing Radiation and
for the Safety of Radiation Sources, Safety Series 115, Appendix
1, Section 1.49.
7
International Best Practice
Records of doses assessed to have been received by an employee,including details of monitoring results and dose calculation methods, asrequired by the appropriate authority, shall be kept during the working life ofthe employee and afterwards for not less than 30 years after the
last dose
assessment and at least until the employee reaches, or would have reached,the age of 75 years.
‐
ARPANSA, 2002, Recommendations for Limiting Exposure to Ionizing Radiation and National
Standard for Limiting Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation, republished March 2002 as
Radiation Protection Series 1.
• How do we ensure compliance with national and international best practice?
• How do we ensure records are maintained and remain retrievable in the long term?
8
Adhering to international best practice standards
Australian National Radiation Dose Register is designed to address these requirements for
the uranium mining and milling industry in Australia.
9
Background
MOU between RET and ARPANSA for
ARPANSA to develop,
construct and implement a Register
of uranium industry worker doses
• To record and track the lifetime radiation dose of workers throughout their career in the uranium mining and milling industry in Australia
• To provide assurance that dose records will be checked and maintained, and remain retrievable, including when
companies cease to operate
• To allow the production of annual statistics showing industry sector trends and comparisons with international dose trends
• To answer requests from workers for the provision of individual dose histories
• To notify regulators when an individual has exceeded their annual dose limit
10
Objectives
• ARPANSA chaired steering committee with members from:
• The Australian uranium industry
• Worker unions
• Representatives from State and Territory regulators
• Representatives from the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET)
• ARPANSA
11
Stakeholder consultation
12
Dose Data to be collected
Worker personal information collected:
• the registered person’s name • date of birth • gender • employee number • place of employment • employee work classification • the period of time employed at a particular location• radiation dose
This personal information is only collected to distinguish one individual from another and will not be used for any other purpose.
13
Personal data to be collected
• Limited amount of security cleared staff allowed access to data
• ARPANSA Information Technology Security Policies
• Privacy Act 1988• Internal policies and procedures• Only individual workers can request their
radiation dose history
14
How private information is being handled
15
The ANRDR Portal
Australian NationalRadiation Dose
Register
Data Providers(Operators)
Operator DetailsWorksite DetailsDose Information
Operators,Regulators
Excessive DosesStatistical Reports
IndividualWorkers
Dose HistoryOn Request
Operators,Regulators,UNSCEAR
Annual Reports
NATAAccreditation
Accreditation of procedures
and processes
(Long‐term goal)
Auditors
Audit Logs and Reports
16
The ANRDR Portal
17
Dose History Report
• Quarterly Radiation Dose
•Annual Total Dose
•Rolling Five Year Average Annual
Dose
• ANRDR ready to accept worker’s radiation doses from July 1, 2010
• ANRDR will soon be ready to accept and process requests from workers for their radiation dose
history
• Currently holds data from South Australian uranium mining operators, represents approx.
85% of current workers
• Information will be available on the ARPANSA webpage for operators and workers
18
Operational Status of the ANRDR
• Distinguishing workers– Links to be created between suspected workers and checked– Information collected on worker includes: name, birth date,
gender, and employee number
• Dose reporting frequency– Quarterly dose reporting, allowing for all quarters to be reported
annually
• Currently no legislative requirements for mines to provide doses to the register
– A different approach is required for each State and Territory. In SA, data submission from a mine operator to the ANRDR is now a
licence condition. Still unresolved in NT, but progressing. 19
Issues That Have Arisen
• Worker awareness program
• Site visits
• Fact sheets
• Newsletters
• Look forward to working with industry and unions to strengthen awareness
• Expansion to other states and territories
• Expansion of ANRDR to include ARPANSA staff dose records
20
The future...
I will be available at Morning Tea for demonstration of the web portal operation and
for further questions
21