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Announcements
Submit material: Web Author Guidelines
Members Consultation - Six questionnaires Dear Member The Legislation and Standards Topic Group proposes to respond to six consultations on behalf of SRP. The group would like to submit a coordinated response from members of the Society. To assist in the collation of comments, questionnaires have been drawn up for members to complete and these are available via the links below. ICRP Consultation
Environment Agencies Consultations
Defra Consultations
Please participate in this exercise to ensure that responses submitted reflect the views across the Society membership. Yours sincerely Sheila Liddle Immediate Past President Letter from HSE - Physical Agents (Artificial Optical Radiation) Directive (2006/25/EC) I am contacting you about the EU Artificial Optical Radiation (AOR) Directive, for which the HSE has now started the process of transposing it into UK law. The purpose of this letter is twofold. Firstly, it is to tell you that we have to implement the Directive by April 2010 and we are working towards that deadline. Secondly, we would like to know whether any particular sectors/employers are likely to encounter any specific difficulties in meeting its requirements. In general, we are expecting that this will not be the case, because the safeguards, etc, that will be required by the resulting UK Regulations should not be more onerous than those required under existing statutory provisions, the general provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The AOR Directive was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 27 April 2006 (Ref: L114) under the title of " Directive 2006/25/EC on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (artificial optical radiation)" The regulatory impact assessment prepared in April 2006 at the time of adoption is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/radiation/nonionising/riaadoptiondirect.htm The Directive has provisions for employers to determine exposure and assess risk, inform and train workers and where necessary provide health surveillance. It is based on the limit values incorporated in the guidelines published by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). More information is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/europe/euronews.htm In order to assist employers both to assess risks and understand the technical provisions of the Directive, the European Commission has contracted the UK's Health Protection Agency to produce a practical guide. Further information (HPA site) We expect that this guide will be freely available before April 2010 when the UK Regulations will come into force. If you would like to submit any comments, please email them to: opticaldirective@hse.gsi.gov.uk N J Smith
Posted 8 May 2008 updated 9 May 2008 Final Conference of the German Mobile Telecommunication Research Programme, Berlin, 17-18 June 2008 This conference, which is being held 17-18 June at the Hotel Park Inn,
is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature
Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) under the auspices of the Federal
Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). The BMU and BfS cordially invite
all IAC members to this event which is open to scientists with an
There will be no conference fee. Conference participants are invited to an evening reception which is planned for Tuesday 17 June. For further information about the conference please visit the web site http://www.emf-forschungsprogramm.de Hotel accommodation - BfS has kindly booked a limited number of rooms in the Park Inn Hotel for the conference. The room rates are: Single room 159.00 EUR Double room 179.00 EUR Breakfast 17.00 EUR extra These are special rates and it is strongly recommended that participants take advantage of this block booking. Please note that you will be responsible for settling your account with the hotel upon departure. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority low level waste repository contract awarded 31 March 2008. An historic milestone in the UK's civil nuclear industry was achieved, today, when the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority awarded the contract for the management and operation of the low level waste repository, near Drigg in West Cumbria, to UK Nuclear Waste Management Ltd (UKNWM) - the consortium led by URS Corporation - Washington Division and including Studsvik, Areva and Serco Assurance. Source and further information NDA site IRPA report: British Radiation Protection Society Receives Royal Charter
Nominations for the ICRU Gray Medal Invited The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) is seeking nominations for the fourteenth award of the ICRU Gray Medal. The medal is awarded for outstanding contributions to basic or applied radiation science of interest to the ICRU. The commission will give preference to individuals who have made major contributions to basic science.Nominations may be made by any person or organization and must be received by the ICRU no later than 1 June 2008. Further details Google site Information request:
Form: Expected arisings of waste sealed radioactive sources, January 2008 - December 2009 doc To:
<srp-uk@yahoogroups.com>
Dear all, Expected arisings of waste radioactive sources during the period Jan 2008 to Dec 2009 Because the source receipt and handling facility at Windscale has been
shutdown for a major programme of refurbishment work during 2008 and 2009,
the Environment Agency is considering whether there may be an
They therefore want to scope the possible total arisings of a selection of common waste sealed sources which UK users will wish to dispose of during each of those years. They have asked Small User representatives if they could collate information on behalf of their organisations, and send it to them. The attached form specifies the information that they need. If you anticipate disposing of sources within the specified categories and period please complete the form and return it by 20th February to: clive.williams@environment-agency.gov.ukor via surface mail to Dr Clive WilliamsIf your anticipated waste source radionuclides are not listed, please indicate these and their activities in your covering e-mail or by annotating the form. Advice concerning activity ranges is given in the form. For security reasons, please limit the identity of the organisation to its name - no information on specific locations etc. should be provided. Please tag your e-mail as Confidential. To avoid duplication please ensure your organisation only completes one form and please state the user community you are reporting from e.g. SRP- pharmaceutical/industrial radiography etc. If you are aware of sources within the specified categories that may require disposal within the period Jan2008 to Dec2009, please complete a form. Doing so will help to ensure a disposal route remains available. Regards, Mark Singleton
SULG SRP representatives Mark Singleton
This E-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. Any views or opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent the views of the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust unless otherwise explicitly stated. The information contained in this E-mail may be subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Unless the information is legally exempt from disclosure, the confidentiality of this E-mail and your reply cannot be guaranteed. This e-mail, including any attached files, may contain confidential and / or privileged information and is intended for the exclusive use of the addressee(s) printed above. If you are not the addressee(s), any unauthorised review, disclosure, reproduction, other dissemination or use of this e-mail, or taking of any action in reliance upon the information contained herein, is strictly prohibited. If this e-mail has been sent to you in error, please return to the sender. No guarantee can be given that the contents of this email are virus free - The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust cannot be held responsible for any failure by the recipient(s) to test for viruses before opening any attachments. The information contained in this e-mail may be the subject of public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 - unless legally exempt from disclosure, the confidentiality of this e-mail and your reply cannot be guaranteed. Copyright in this email and any attachments created by us remains vested in the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. IRPA 12 12th International Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 19-24 October 2008 IRPA 12 Second Announcement: Call for Papers IRPA site
Further information: http://www.irpa12.org.ar INES User's Manual
INES User's Manual Draft 3.2.6 - 15 October 2007 1,700KB Summary of Key Changes to the Revised INES User Manual 70KB Table for comments by INES national officer 40KB Dear Colleagues, Please find attached the draft revision of the INES manual. I would be grateful if you could review the document and forward any comments to me, which I will collate into a unified response from the UK. I would be grateful if you could give me an early indication if you would like me to organise a meeting to discuss the document in detail (early November?). Dependant on the nature of any comments on the document I might also arrange a meeting to resolve any conflicting comments to arrive at a UK position. Given that the IAEA require a response by the 15th December, this later meeting would need to be in early December. I would also appreciate a nil response reply from anyone who has no substantive comments. Please feel free to forward this message to anyone that you believe may have an interest. many thanks in advance Richard Jones
Health Physics Society - Call for Posters Special International Poster Session
Further details pdf IPEM meeting: Radiation Protection in Nuclear Medicine, London, 27 February 2008 The substantial and rapid expansion of nuclear medicine into multi-modality imaging and the development of novel radionuclide therapies has led to new radiation protection concerns and challenges. This meeting will bring together nuclear medicine and radiation protection professionals to share their experiences in managing the issues arising from these changes. Further information: www.ipem.ac.uk EURANOS 2nd Training Course on Rehabilitation of Living Conditions in Long-Term Contaminated Territories After a Nuclear Accident or a Radiological Event: Preparedness and Management, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France, 31 March - 3 April 2008 CEPN, Health Protection Agency, IRSN. Hosted by CEPN First Announcement and Pre-registration doc 190KB Preliminary Programme doc 70KB Applications for membership of SRP SRP has petitioned for the grant of a Royal Charter. Assuming that the Charter is granted, we expect that persons who at the date of the Charter are full members of the Society will be eligible to use the title Chartered Radiation Protection Professional, CRadP. Because of the uncertainty regarding the date of Charter, the Society has set a date for receipt of applications. Persons who wish to apply for membership of The Society for Radiological Protection should submit their applications by the 6th October 2007 to ensure that applications are processed in time to be eligible for Chartered status under the "grandfathering rights". The Society for Radiological Protection cannot guarantee applications received after this date will be processed in time. IRPA 12 12th International Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 19-24 October 2008 - News News from IRPA 12, August 2007 pdf 900KB
Further information: http://www.irpa12.org.ar Posted 8 August 2007 (revised 9 August 2007) Metrologia - Special issue on radionuclide metrology Volume 44, Number 4, August 2007 The special issue should be of use:
Accessible online at http://www.iop.org/EJ/toc/0026-1394/44/4 (on condition that you provide personal data). Source: http://www.iop.org/EJ/toc/0026-1394/44/4 Draft European Technical Guide: Package Design Safety Reports for Transport Packages containing RAM To: SRP members Draft 11 of the above referenced document [doc 410KB] is attached. The document is intended to provide a standardised format and scope of content for a transport package design safety case which is dependant upon the package type. Draft 11 represents the contributions thus far from the Competent Authorities of the UK, D, F B, NL and Esp. It is scheduled for publication in September 2007. Meanwhile the annexes are being developed by the aforementioned parties to provide more guidance on the appropriate level of technical justification that is required for each package type. Having reached agreement between the CAs on the main body of the document we are now able to consult with users/industry to ask for their comments and we therefore ask you to send any comments you may have before Friday 10 August. This document is for guidance only and it is not mandatory, consequently existing safety cases for Type B and Fissile packages will not have to be rewritten in line with this document before submissin to a CA. Nonetheless all CAs will encourage its adoption in their respective country which is anticipated to reduce the overall time needed to obtain CA approvals and validations in Member States. Following publication it is planned to review this document after one year to include any changes necessary. Many thanks S Whittingham
News on Regulation of High-activity Sealed Sources (HASS) and Sources of Similar Potential Hazard The purpose of this note is to highlight: a) that by 1 September 2007 all organisations intending to keep or use a HASS after 1 January 2008 will need to have applied for an appropriate registration; b) the publication of revised D-values for use in regulation of security of radioactive sources in the UK; and, c) new applications forms for HASS and similar potential hazard sealed source and mobile source registrations. a) Registration of HASS The Environment Agency is responsible for implementing (in England and Wales) the High-activity Sealed Radioactive Sources and Orphan Sources Regulations 2005 (SI 2005 No. 2686) (the HASS Regulations), which amend the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. The guidance on the Environment Agency web site [pdf 380KB] (or www.environment-agency.gov.uk >business and industry >business sectors >radioactive substances users >guidance >HASS guidance) has recently been updated and gives more information. We are approaching the end of the transitional period for implementing the Regulations; the HASS requirements which have applied to new HASS since January 2006 will apply to all HASS from 1 January 2008. Users of HASS from that date need to hold appropriate registrations. Applications for revised registrations need to be made 4 months in advance. By 1 September 2007, therefore, all organisations intending to keep or use a HASS after 1 January 2008 must have applied for an appropriate registration. The Environment Agency has written to users currently registered to hold sources above the HASS thresholds to remind them of the need to apply. Those not actually holding a HASS but wishing to retain such sources on their registrations will also need to apply. The requirement extends to tenants on nuclear sites but only to mobile sources used by nuclear site licensees. Because of the expected peak in workload, users are advised to apply early. Appropriate changes to application forms and guidance have been made. The fees for applications are in the charging scheme on the Environment Agency web site. Once the HASS work is well underway the Environment Agency will write to known users of sources of similar potential hazard to HASS asking them to apply for revised registrations. b) Revised D-values D-values are used by the Environment Agency and their police advisers to determine the source category and appropriate security measures for sealed sources, where this cannot be assessed directly from the use/practice. Following publication of a revised set of D-values by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/EPR_D_web.pdf [3,200KB]), NaCTSO, the Environment Agency, SEPA and EHS NI have agreed that new D-values are appropriate for use in the UK. A new list has been agreed to replace Table 3 of the document "Security Requirements for Radioactive Sources" (NSAC and NaCTSO, October 2005). The list is available on the Environment Agency web site (follow the above links to radioactive substances users). Police CTSAs are distributing the new list with copies of the NSAC Document. A new version of the NSAC Document is expected soon. The new list also forms part of the guidance on Fixed Condition Registrations (follow the above links to guidance). The changes are significant for some radionuclides. However the major radionuclides which are in common use, eg Co-60, Cs-137, Am-241, Ir-192 are not changing at all. Overall the effect is to leave most users unchanged, but in cases where less common radionuclides are used the category may go up or down. c) New Application Forms Following requests from users, a new set of application forms have been produced. Members of the Agency's Small Users Liaison Group (SULG) have reviewed draft application forms for us and we have incorporated their views. Thanks very much to those who assisted. They have been reviewed for plain English and professionally designed. They are now available in Adobe pdf versions capable of being completed and saved electronically (follow the above links to radioactive substances users). The new forms cover HASS and sealed sources of similar potential hazard and mobile source registrations. The application form for Fixed Condition Registrations has also been adjusted. Further forms covering storage in transit, open source registrations and disposal authorisations are at an advanced stage. Site specific queries should be raised with your normal Environment Agency Area office but general enquiries can be made to: Peter.brember@environment-agency.gov.uk Peter Brember New radioactivity-in-air monitoring Measurement Good Practice Guide from NPL The National Physical Laboratory (NPL), in collaboration with industry experts drawn from its Airborne Radioactivity Monitoring Users' Group ('ARMUG'), has recently published a new Measurement Good Practice Guide, 'The Examination and Testing of Equipment for Monitoring Airborne Radioactive Particulate in the Workplace' (GPG 82). The guide covers the examination and testing of all types of equipment used in assessing the concentration of airborne radioactive particulate in the workplace for radiation protection purposes. This includes air samplers, air monitors and the laboratory-based counting equipment used to measure radioactivity on filter papers. GPG 82 is available as a free download from NPL's ARMUG webpage (www.npl.co.uk/armug), on condition that you provide personal data. Comments on the guide may be submitted via the feedback link on that page. GPG 82 follows a similar format to earlier Measurement Good Practice Guides on the testing of Radiation Protection instruments, namely, GPG 14 and GPG 29 (covering portable and installed monitors, respectively). Related to these is GPG 30, which covers practical radiation monitoring. These guides have rapidly gained acceptance in the UK as a means of demonstrating compliance with the testing requirements of the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999. Many non-UK organisations have also incorporated them into their operations. In total, NPL has published around 100 Measurement Good Practice Guides, between them providing a wealth of advice on metrology in a wide range of science and engineering areas, enabling users to make better measurements and obtain reproducible data. A full listing can be found at: www.npl.co.uk/publications/good_practice/. Source: NPL Posted 13 June 2007 (previously posted in 'Topical issues') Polonium-210 Polonium-210 as a poison pdf 900KB JRP site - John Harrison and colleagues address the subject of death by Po-210 poisoning The Polonium-210 Poisoning in London pdf JRP site - John Stather puts this article in context HPA Press Statement 6 March 2007 Polonium-210 as a Poison HPA site IRPA Regional Congress for Central and Eastern Europe: Regional and global aspects of radiation protection, Brasov, Romania, 24-28 September 2007 Romanian Society for Radiological Protection (RRSRP) Further information: http://www.irpa2007romania.com/ IRPA 12 12th International Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 19-24 October 2008 Further information: http://www.irpa12.org.ar News from CLEAPSS From: John Ellis <John.Ellis@cleapss.org.uk>
The EA surplus sources disposal programme is now closed to schools and colleges. Note that CLEAPSS is now called just CLEAPSS (no longer school science service, even though we still do the same job!). CLEAPSS guide L93: Managing Ionising Radiations and Radioactive Substances. This guide, on the teaching of radioactivity in schools and colleges, is available at http://www.cleapss.org.uk/download/L093.pdf John Ellis, Physics Adviser, Please note our new postal address
Qualified Experts and RSA93 Qualified Experts in the Non-Nuclear Sector
Stakeholder workshops report
DoH Guidance on the establishment and use of diagnostic reference levels The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000 (IR(ME)R 2000), which partially implements Council Directive 97/43/Euratom, require employers undertaking medical exposures to establish diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) and to undertake appropriate reviews if these are consistently exceeded. Source: Department of Health Access the guidance DoH site ICRP - new fundamental Recommendations At its meeting in Essen, Germany, 19-21 March, the International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP, approved a new set of fundamental Recommendations on the protection of man and the environment against ionising radiation. These Recommendations will replace the Commission's previous Recommendations from 1990. The new Recommendations take account of new biological and physical information and trends in the setting of radiation standards. While much more information is available now than in 1990, the overall estimate of the risk of various kinds of harmful effects after exposure to radiation remains fundamentally the same. The three basic principles of radiological protection are still justification of activities that could cause or affect radiation exposures, optimisation of protection in order to keep doses as low as reasonably achievable, and the use of dose limits. The new Recommendations feature an improved and streamlined presentation, give more emphasis to protection of the environment, and provide a platform for developing an updated strategy for handling emergency situations and situations of pre-existing radiation exposures. The new Recommendations will be published in the Commission's journal, the Annals of the ICRP. Contact person: Dr Jack Valentin, Scientific Secretary of ICRP, scient.secretary@icrp.org; +46 8729 7275. Source: http://www.icrp.org/docs/ICRP_approves_new_fundamental_Recommendations.pdf accessed 28 March 2007 Defra Review of Exemption Orders As part of the review of the Exemption Orders Defra wish to obtain information relating to the costs and benefits associated with reducing the regulatory burden and administrative costs. Members of the SRP Legislation and Standards Topic Group have offered to assist with the collection of data relating to time spent on dealing with regulatory compliance. Values relating to increased or decreased waste disposal costs are being collated by the NDA. In order to collect the information a short questionnaire has been devised. We would be grateful if you would spend a few moments to answer the questions. Unfortunately timescales are fairly tight and we ask that you return the completed questionnaire by 15 March 2007. Questionnaire doc Posted 27 February 2007 International Commission on Radiological Protection
A draft report from the ICRP is nearing completion. The draft is meant to become a report in the supporting guidance series, and addresses interpretation of bioassay data. Contents
If at all possible, ICRP would appreciate your comments by 22 April 2007. ICRP are prepared if unavoidable to accept some late replies; however, if you need extra time, please enter a brief formal comment with your contact details and indicate when you expect to be able to complete your reply. Source and further information: http://www.icrp.org/draft_interpretation.asp Posted 15 February 2007
Ionising radiation warning - Supplementary symbol A new ionising radiation warning symbol is being introduced to supplement the traditional trefoil. The symbol is intended for IAEA Category 1, 2 and 3 sources defined as dangerous sources capable of death or serious injury, including food irradiators, teletherapy machines for cancer treatment and industrial radiography units. The symbol is to be placed on the device housing the source, as a warning not to dismantle the device or to get any closer. It will not be visible under normal use, only if someone attempts to disassemble the device. The symbol will not be located on building access doors, transportation packages or containers. Strategies to apply the symbol on existing large sources are being developed by the IAEA. Source and further details: http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/radiationsymbol.html ISO 21482:2006 ISO site specifies the symbol. News from IAEA - Website for first responders to a radiological emergency Dear Colleagues:
In addition, the recently published "Manual for First Responders to a Radiological Emergency" in PDF format can be downloaded when one clicks the Publications link on the right hand menu. Please feel free to pass this on to your colleagues, in particular first responders. With best regards, Elena Buglova Incident and Emergency Centre
Guidance on new nuclear power station designs - HSE and others The guidance is issued by the principal nuclear regulators in the UK - the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Office for Civil Nuclear Security. The guidance explains the generic design assessment process being proposed, should the UK embark on a programme to build new nucear power stations.
Source: Health and Safety Executive Access guidance HSE site Franco British Nuclear Forum - First meeting 29 November 2006 The Franco-British Nuclear Forum was announced following the Prime Minister's meeting with President Chirac in June 2006. The announcement said that: "We have agreed to explore and further develop the opportunities of working together in the civil nuclear field. To that end we have agreed to establish a regular Franco-British Nuclear Forum, involving representatives from government, industry and technical experts. The Forum will provide a vehicle to discuss Franco-British nuclear cooperation, including research, skills, decommissioning and waste management". The aims of the Forum are: to develop further existing relationships between French and British policy makers, regulators, industry and scientists; to develop collaboration on existing and new areas of mutual interest; and to draw more value from work being done in France and the UK both separately and collaboratively. The first meeting was held in Paris on 29 November. It was co-chaired by Francois Loos, French Industry Minister with responsibility for Energy and Lord Truscott, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry. The Forum focused on three broad areas using the framework of working groups:
A follow-up meeting will be held in London in spring 2007 to assess the outputs of the working groups and to identify further work on Franco-British nuclear co-operation. The number and frequency of subsequent meetings is still to be agreed. Membership is made up from Industry, policy makers, regulators and scientists. Source: Department of Trade and Industry Further details DTI site Consultation - Proposed merger of Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive A Stronger Voice for Health and Safety - a consultative document on merging the Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive The document seeks views on merging the Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive into a single body. The document:
Respond online or download a form. Comments by 5 March 2007 to Health and Safety Executive. Access the document HSE site Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd210.htm accessed 3 January 2007 Draft ICRP Report: Managing Patient Dose in Multi-Detector Computed Tomography (MDCT) The report discusses radiological protection problems that arise when conventional CT is replaced with multi-detector CT machines. ICRP would appreciate your comments no later than 9 March 2007. Download report pdf 680KB ICRP site Submit comment ICRP site Source: http://www.icrp.org/draft_multi.asp accessed 12 December 2006 SRP Elections 2006/2007 Letter to members doc members only Nomination form doc members only HPA consultation: Comparison of Processes and Procedures for Setting Standards - Chemicals, Ionising Radiation, Non-ionising Radiation Author(s):
The document will be retained on the HPA website for three months and comments should be sent to Dr John Cooper (john.cooper@hpa-rp.org.uk). The authors will consider these comments and will take account of those comments that are judged to improve understanding of the topic. Publication of the final document is planned for the end of February 2007. Access the document HPA site Source: HPA Final Open Event of the ERICA Project The Society received the following information from the Environment Agency today. INVITATION: Final Open Event of the ERICA Project
The ERICA Integrated Approach to the assessment and management of environmental risks from ionising radiation will be presented during a 1.5-day open event in Paris, 14-15 February 2007, starting at lunchtime on the 14th and finishing on the afternoon of the 15th. The event will consist of three parts: 1. The structure of the Integrated Approach - context, general
assumptions and relevance in decision-making
The ERICA project (Environmental Risk from Ionising Contaminants: Assessment and Management) was partly funded and launched in March 2004 by the European Commission under the Euratom Sixth Framework Programme - http://cordis.europa.eu/fp6-euratom/home.html. It involves 15 partners from seven countries, and ends in February 2007. The project targets organism and ecosystem protection, through the generation of databases that support the assessment process, including risk characterisation. It considers issues and options in environmental decision-making. The project has continuously interacted with > 50 end-users (under the umbrella of the End-Users Group), representing academia and industry, as well as governmental, non-governmental and inter-governmental organisations. This final ERICA event is open to anyone interested in the subject. We invite you to download the registration form that can be found at www.erica-project.org, fill it in and return it by the following deadlines: - by 6 November 2006, if you want IRSN to arrange your hotel booking,
More details will be provided before the meeting. We look forward to seeing you in Paris. For further information, please contact:
Department for Transport One Day Seminar 29 November 2006 Regulatory Requirements for the Transport of Class 7 Dangerous Goods (Radioactive Material) in Non-Competent Authority Approved Packages A free one day seminar will be held in Birmingham to provide information
and guidance to consignors, carriers and the designers of non Competent
Authority approved packages containing radioactive material.
Seminar Details
Registration: 0930 hours
For further information contact: Department for Transport, Radioactive
Materials Transport, Dangerous Goods Division, Zone 2/33, Great Minster
House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR.
RMTD 007/010/0001/SO3.01 OCT06 Two Nuclear Decommissioning Authority consultations
Department for Transport - The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2007 - (CDG 2007) - Consultation document, August 2006 The proposed Regulations present a further opportunity for consolidation - this time, merging the Carriage Regulations, RAMRoad and the radiological emergency provisions for rail carriage from REPPIR, and making them under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act (HSWA) alone. This CD sets out regulatory proposals to implement two European Directives relating to the carriage of dangerous goods:
Source: Consultation document pdf DfT site accessed 10 September 2006. Please send your response to DfT by 30 November 2006. Posted 1 August 2006 France - L'Autorité de sûreté nucléaire - International radiation protection: the national authorities of radiation protection From: "SRP" <admin@srp-uk.org>
> Received a couple of items yesterday .... Both are from the
French Autorite de Surete
2nd Draft 2006 Recommendations of the ICRP — SRP Members Consultation Exercise Download Questionnaire doc 50KB 21 June 2006 To SRP Members and Partner Societies SRP carried out a structured consultation exercise in 2005 to gather comments from members and partner societies on the new draft recommendations of the International Commission for Radiological Protection (ICRP). Following on from the submission of original comments, ICRP has produced a second draft of its recommendations and has requested comments from interested persons and organisations. SRP has been invited to comment as an associate society through IRPA. ICRP would like comments on a number of specific areas where consensus was not easily achieved. To determine the weight of opinion they have asked a number of questions and to assist in collating responses SRP has incorporated these questions into a questionnaire. Spaces below each question have been incorporated into the questionnaire for members to provide comments if they have strong views for or against and a box provided at the end of the form for overall comments. Positive, constructive comments are welcomed and should include expressions of support for particular aspects where appropriate. (To add comments type in the grey box.) The draft recommendations can be found on the ICRP website under the
following link:
As usual timescales are tight and time will be needed to collate the responses, so SRP need completed questionnaires to be returned by 11th July 2006. You may submit them electronically or in paper form to the SRP Administrative Office. Please take the time to complete the form as the recommendations are an important part of our business. This does not preclude members from submitting their individual responses to ICRP directly. Sheila Liddle
Government Policy on the Management of Risk
Abstract
We are, however, concerned that public sector reward and assessment systems may emphasise the adverse impact of failure rather than the gains from success, and so encourage excessive risk-aversion. We can find no clear evidence to support the view that a compensation culture has developed or that this has pushed policy in undesirable directions. The notion that a compensation culture has developed appears to be based more on widely reported anecdotes than extensive analysis. Government has developed a sound and potentially useful framework for the assessment of risk. The key issue is whether this framework is applied properly. Cost-benefit analysis provides a useful framework for thinking about risk policy, but costs and benefits are often uncertain or difficult to measure and it is important to recognise the limitations of quantitative approaches to risk assessment. Policy guidelines such as "As Low As Reasonably Practicable" (ALARP), "Gross Disproportion" and the "Precautionary Principle" are imprecise and there is a danger that they can lead to an excessively cautious approach to risk. Unless these concepts can be clarified, they should be discarded. More attention should be paid in the formulation of policy to the trade-off between personal liberty and public regulation. Policy formulation should take greater account of the specific and accumulated impact of legislation on personal freedoms. The case of passive smoking is an example in which policy demonstrates a disproportionate response to a relatively minor health problem, with insufficient regard to statistical evidence. In transport safety policy, the evidence suggests that there has been a move towards greater consistency, but action is still needed to address an inappropriate differential in the levels of road and rail safety expenditure. Available at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldeconaf/183/183i.pdf
Draft Recommendations of the ICRP for consultation - 02/276/06 - 5 June 2006 Available at http://www.icrp.org/docs/ICRP_Recs_02_276_06_web_cons_5_June.pdf ICRP writes at http://www.icrp.org/draft_second.asp: In 2004, ICRP consulted publicly for 6 months on a first version of its draft next Recommendations. The consultation generated overwhelming interest and more than 600 pages of constructive and helpful comments from some 200 respondents all over the world. Now, we are consulting on an updated draft which was compiled taking the consultation comments on the previous version into account. Environment Agency annual customer market research programme The Environment Agency conducts an annual customer market research programme through a company called Test Research Ltd, a company within the Ipsos Mori group. Test Research will contact a sample of RSA 93 authorisation/registration holders to gauge customer satisfaction with the Agency's performance. This is a genuine and legitimate market research campaign and we would ask small users to cooperate with Test Research. Test Research may ask for confirmation that the contact has an RSA 93 permit, but they should not need to seek sensitive information or details about holdings of radioactive sources. I am the Agency's point of contact should anyone wish to confirm the legitimacy of this survey or the Test Reseach contact. Could you let your small user 'constituents' know, as soon as possible, about this programme. Bob Russ
Chernobyl: 20 years on UN report provides answers and ways to repair lives A total of up to four thousand people could eventually die of radiation exposure from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident nearly 20 years ago, an international team of more than 100 scientists has concluded. The new numbers are presented in a landmark:
Engaging lay stakeholders in decisions about radiation protection - whatever next! A brief report on the Salamanca "stakeholder engagement" workshop; November 2005 The Challenge: Across Europe, traditional approaches to making key decisions about some long-standing and very public debates concerning policy and practice on waste disposal, nuclear energy, contaminated land and decommissioning, are not working well if at all. Wider stakeholder engagement including public participation in these critical decision-making areas is increasingly seen as the only way forward. Involving people and groups with very different backgrounds, values and priorities is seen as a pretty radical step. What does it actually mean in practice, what are the implications for policy decisions and where does it leave the RP specialist? These are some of the real issues that need to be addressed. The Response: Rather than commissioning yet more academic research, the Spanish, French
and UK Societies came up with the idea of holding a series of 'stakeholder
workshops' to combine the expertise of the RP specialist with the practical
knowledge and experience of selected 'other stakeholders'.
The Salamanca event: There were 64 participants at the Workshop, from 8 countries (Spain, France, United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Norway, Canada and the USA) belonging to a range of interests in decision making on RP; international organizations, scientists/technicians, municipalities, communication experts, ecologist NGO, regulators, enterprises and syndicates. The workshop was structured so that participants could improve their knowledge and understanding of the processes, methodologies and tools necessary for involving stakeholders. This was based on recent first-hand experience of stakeholder engagement in the following four domains: 1) Regulation
of operating installations, including environmental monitoring and surveillance;
The workshop was grounded in various case studies which had involved mixed groups of stakeholders. Plenary discussions of the common issues and learning points were aided by parallel, facilitated working groups. The latter were set up to identify, from a practical perspective, the future needs for better developing stakeholder participatory processes in the evaluation and management of radiological risks. Findings from these working groups were fed into the conclusions and recommendations of the workshop. The UK fielded a fine set of stakeholders; 2 from Regulators, 1 consultant, 1 from NEA/OECD (previously HSL/HSE) and two lay stakeholders. They all confirmed the worth of the event but most importantly, that they and what they had to share was highly valued. Outputs and next steps: The workshop identified and explored (for the purpose of exposing good practice) the following key areas;
Planning has already started for a follow up event in Montbéliard
in late 2006. A fuller account of the Salamanca workshop will appear in
the JRP in due course but in the interim, you can learn more from Tony
Bandle tel: 0207 717 6625, email: tony.bandle@hse.gsi.gov.uk
Posted 15 February 2006 Hugh Tresise The 'Quiet Man' of Health Physics Hugh Tresise joined the CEGB in the early 1960s and was one of the first health physicists to be appointed at the beginning of the UK's civil nuclear power programme. In those early pioneering days of power station health physics little was known about radiation protection in the industrial scene and when Hugh was appointed as station health physicist at Berkeley Power Station as a senior engineer, he was entering a new and challenging phase of his career. Hugh went about the difficult task of incorporating health physics into the engineering ethos of a nuclear power station and much had to be learnt as those first few years unfolded. In the mid to late 1960s other nuclear power stations were being commissioned and their newly appointed health physicists looked towards Berkeley (and of course Bradwell) station health physicists for their wise counsel and advice. For many he was a role model in the emerging profession of radiation protection. Hugh was a founder member of SRP, having joined the Society shortly after it was formed and he readily supported its aims and objectives whilst not seeking appointment to Council. This was in keeping with a man who was an intensely private and quiet person who never sought the limelight but had made the move from science to the industrial scene a success. Within the field of power station health physics Hugh was a much respected professional and a man of great integrity who went about his business quietly and without fuss. I have two abiding memories of Hugh:-
Hugh Tresise was both a dedicated professional and an honest and kind man who will be greatly missed by Peggy and her family and all those who knew him within our profession. Hugh, it was a privilege and a pleasure to have known you. Bernard Willcox CORWM Consultation To:
<srp-uk@yahoogroups.com>
CORWM has invited interested parties to comment on their scores using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis to assess the options for managing radioactive waste in the long term. See attached link. http://www.corwm.org.uk/content-898 Comments will be sent on behalf of SRP. You are invited to either send you comments direct to CORWM or via SRP admin@srp-uk.org. If you wish to send your comments via SRP please do so by 8th February 2006. Many thanks Sheila Liddle Defra requests information from small users who measure discharges and monitor environment A request for information from Defra: To assist the completion of a submission to the European Commission under Euratom article 35, Defra would like basic information from small users who measure their discharges to the environment (rather than assess them by other means), and small users who undertake environmental monitoring. Although it is suspected that there are very few 'non-nuclear' organisations who undertake either activity, if you do, please could you contact Gillian Steele or Iain Gray at RM Consultants Ltd who are assisting Defra and will inform you of the information that they require -(01539 722311 - gillian.steel@rmconsultants.co.uk). Posted 29 December 2005 In Health Protection Matters, HPA site, online magazine of the Health Protection Agency:
Posted 1 December 2005 Election notice 2005/06 Closing date 10 January 2006. Copy also gone out by post to everyone. Posted 1 December 2005 Founders' Prize 2006 The SRP Founders' Prize is open to all but is particularly intended to offer encouragement to younger members of the profession who have made significant contributions in any aspect of radiological protection. Nominations should be made to the Honorary Secretary at the Society's address by 10 January 2006 accompanied by a mini citation. Posted 29 October 2005 National Occupational Standards under review during 2005 Cogent, the sector skills council for the nuclear industry, has obtained funding from the National Occupational Standards Board to develop or review National Occupational Standards in three areas, as follows:
Posted 27 October 2005 Consultation on the proposal to amend the MARS Regulations 1978 The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency are consulting interested parties on their proposal to amend The Medicines (Administration of Radioactive Substances) Regulations 1978 and The Prescription Only Medicines (Human Use) Order 1997. The proposal (MHRA site) is to change the regulations to reflect current practices for the administration of radioactive substances to patients. If you wish to send comments and are not responding through a professional body please send your comments via the Society. Consultation closes 11th November 2005. IRPA 2006: deadline for submission of abstracts From: Caroline SCHIEBER
Dear Secretary of RP association, We would like to remind you that the deadline for the submission of abstract for the next European IRPA Congress to be held in Paris next year is the 15th of September. (information on : http://www.irpa2006europe.com ) May we kindly ask you to forward this information to the members of your association? Thanking you in advance, Best regards Caroline SCHIEBER BIR - NHS Role in the Management of Radiation Emergencies, London, 6 Dec 2005 There have been many changes to the general arrangements for emergency planning in the NHS and in relation to dealing with radiation incidents. The meeting will cover the new relationships between the NHS, Health Protection Agency including the Radiation Protection Division, New Dimensions, UK Resilience, and the Government Decontamination Service and will describe the latest thinking regarding dealing with casualties and the public who might be contaminated. Source and further details: BIR BIR site Nirex Nirex is the company responsible for developing and advising the Government on safe, environmentally sound and publicly acceptable options for the long-term management of radioactive materials in the UK. Nirex is now wholly owned and controlled by the Government, having recently been made independent of the nuclear industry in a move designed to increase transparency and accountability in the long-term management of radioactive waste. Nirex's objectives are to:
HSE risk debate Sensible Health and Safety. If you believe some stories you hear, health and safety is all about stopping any activity that might possibly lead to harm. This is not our vision of sensible health and safety. Our approach is to seek a balance between the unachievable aim of absolute safety and the kind of poor management of risks that damages lives and the economy. n a nutshell - risk management - not risk elimination On 13th July 2005, the Minister with responsibility for occupational health and safety, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, launched HSC's debate on the sensible management of risk. Read the speeches. This forms part of the wider debate on risk and compensation for which the Prime Minister called in May 2005. Over the coming months until early 2006 there will be a range of opportunities for you to contribute your views to the debate. Have your say - contribute to the debate. Earlier events, presentations and speeches. Risk and compensation seminar 22nd March 2005 - With keynote speech by Lord Falconer, Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs. Our key messages. Presentation to the ROSPA Safety and Health at Work Congress - Making Sense of Risk. Source: Risk debate HSE site accessed 1 August 2005 Draft principles for HSE's regulation of public safety
HSE's deadline for responses is 15 September 2005. Source: Draft principles for HSE's regulation of public safety HSE site accessed 1 August 2005 Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR VII - Phase 2) National Academy of Sciences, WASHINGTON -- A preponderance of scientific evidence shows that even low doses of ionizing radiation, such as gamma rays and X-rays, are likely to pose some risk of adverse health effects, says a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council. The report's focus is low-dose, low-LET -- "linear energy transfer" -- ionizing radiation that is energetic enough to break biomolecular bonds. In living organisms, such radiation can cause DNA damage that eventually leads to cancers. However, more research is needed to determine whether low doses of radiation may also cause other health problems, such as heart disease and stroke, which are now seen with high doses of low-LET radiation. The study committee defined low doses as those ranging from nearly zero to about 100 millisievert (mSv) -- units that measure radiation energy deposited in living tissue. The radiation dose from a chest X-ray is about 0.1 mSv. In the United States, people are exposed on average to about 3 mSv of natural "background" radiation annually. The committee's report develops the most up-to-date and comprehensive risk estimates for cancer and other health effects from exposure to low-level ionizing radiation. In general, the report supports previously reported risk estimates for solid cancer and leukemia, but the availability of new and more extensive data have strengthened confidence in these estimates. Specifically, the committee's thorough review of available biological and biophysical data supports a "linear, no-threshold" (LNT) risk model, which says that the smallest dose of low-level ionizing radiation has the potential to cause an increase in health risks to humans. In the past, some researchers have argued that the LNT model exaggerates adverse health effects, while others have said that it underestimates the harm. The preponderance of evidence supports the LNT model, this new report says. "The scientific research base shows that there is no threshold of exposure below which low levels of ionizing radiation can be demonstrated to be harmless or beneficial," said committee chair Richard R. Monson, associate dean for professional education and professor of epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston. "The health risks - particularly the development of solid cancers in organs - rise proportionally with exposure. At low doses of radiation, the risk of inducing solid cancers is very small. As the overall lifetime exposure increases, so does the risk." The report is the seventh in a series on the biological effects of ionizing radiation. Source: National Academy of Sciences accessed 27 July 2005 Defra consultation on contaminated land: extension of Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to include radioactivity This consultation seeks views on draft Regulations and associated draft Statutory Guidance that will extend the existing contaminated land regime under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to cover radioactivity. The extended regime will provide a system for the identification and remediation of contaminated land, where such land is causing lasting exposure of radiation to any person or where there is a significant possibility of such exposure. The extended regime will also ensure that the UK complies with its obligations to transpose and implement articles 48 and 53 of Council Directive 96/29/Euratom which lays down the basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation. The deadline for responses is 9 October 2005. Source: Defra consultation accessed 19 July 2005 Risk of cancer after low doses of ionising radiation: retrospective
cohort study in 15 countries
Implications for radiation protection
For mortality from all cancers excluding leukaemia, the central risk estimates are two to three times higher than the linear extrapolation from the A bomb survivors. The confidence intervals are wide, however, and findings are statistically compatible with the current bases for radiation protection standards. Current recommendations form the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) are to limit occupationaldoses to 100 mSv over five years (not to exceed 50 mSv in any one year) and doses to the public to 1 mSv per year.2 Our estimates suggest that a cumulative exposure of 100 mSv would lead to a 9.7% (1.4 to 19.7%) increased mortality from all cancers excluding leukaemia and a 5.9% (-2.9 to 17.0%) increased mortality from all cancers excluding leukaemia, lung, and pleura compared with background rates. The corresponding figure is 19% (< 0 to 84.7%) for mortality from leukaemia excluding chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Less than 5% of workers in this study received cumulative doses of the order of 100 mSv over their entire career, however, and most of these doses were received in the early years of the nuclear industry, when protection standards were less stringent than today. Overall, on the basis of our central risk estimates, we estimate that 1-2% of deaths from cancer (including leukaemia) among workers in this cohort may be attributable to radiation. What is already known on this topic
We have provided radiation risk estimates from the largest study of nuclear industry workers conducted so far. These estimates are higher than, but statistically compatible with, the current bases for radiation protection standards. The confidence intervals range from values lower than those derived by linear extrapolation from data from A bomb survivors up to values that exceed this extrapolation by a factor of six for cancers other than leukaemia and nearly three for leukaemia. These results suggest that an excess risk of cancer exists, albeit small, even at the low doses and dose rates typically received by nuclear workers in this study. Source: BMJ accessed 18 July 2005 Posted 18 July 2005 IRPA Web Site News To: "SRP
user group (E-mail)" <srp-uk@yahoogroups.com>
SRP user group subscribers may wish to note that four news items that have recently been posted on the IRPA Web Site <http://www.irpa.net/news/index.html> .
David M Smith
Cathy Griffiths at the Palace The Queen presenting Cathy Griffiths with an OBE at Buckingham Palace on 27 April 2005. Posted 4 April 2005 NPL Workshop on Metrology for Decommissioning and Site Clearance, Teddington, 30 June 2005 The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) will be holding a 'Workshop on Metrology for Decommissioning and Site Clearance' at its Teddington site on Thursday 30th June 2005. The purpose of the meeting will be to identify requirements for standards, Reference Materials and guidance for radioactivity metrology in this field. The workshop will consist of a short series of introductory presentations from NPL staff and invited speakers, followed by syndicate group sessions in which delegates will be given the opportunity to discuss measurement problems and to outline their needs. There will be three syndicate group sessions, covering bulk monitoring, surface monitoring and radiochemical analysis. The outcomes of the workshop will inform NPL's future programme in this area. The workshop is open to anyone with an interest in this field. There will be a charge of £45 to cover registration, lunch and refreshments. If you are interested in attending, please contact: Dr Julian Dean
Tel: (020) 8943 6278
Posted 3 April 2005 New items on the IRPA web site A summary of the recent meeting of the Inter Agency Committee on Radiation Safety (IACRS ) http://www.irpa.net/.
Posted 18 March 2005
Retirement testimonial Cathy Griffiths OBE Cathy Griffiths has had a long and distinguished career in Medical Physics and her recent ward of an OBE in the New Year's Honours list is a just recognition of the contribution she has made over the years. Anyone meeting Cathy can have no doubts that she grew up in Liverpool. She was once advised that she would only get on if she were to lose her 'terrible accent' but fortunately she ignored this advice and has prospered ever since. Academically Cathy's path has not been as direct as many of her colleagues. She left school at 16 and worked initially as a laboratory technician and continued her studies part-time up to and including an MPhil, showing the commitment to personal progress that we have all come to know. Cathy's first job in Medical Physics was at Grimsby where she had to turn her hand to a variety of disciplines, although she largely concentrated on ionizing radiation topics. In 1986 she moved to Sheffield as a (then) Senior Physicist, sharing an office with another up and coming female physicist. In 1989 she gained her HPA certificate to practice and advise as an RPA and was upgraded to Principle Physicist in recognition of her obvious talents. From then on nothing could stop her. In 1990 she was appointed to the IPSM Radiation Protection Topic Group and the next year, I am sure to nobody's surprise, chaired the group for two years. Over the same period of time she also served on the IPSM POPUMET course approval panel and then, with I suspect some inevitability, chaired this group for a further 3 years. For some time Cathy has played a role in the assessment of RPAs. In 1996 she was appointed as an assessor for the IPEM/SRP RPA certification scheme and subsequently to the RPA 2000 certification scheme. In 1995 she was appointed to a C grade physicists post, and in 1998 became Section Head of all the Radiation Protection and QA Services in Sheffield covering all uses of ionising and non-ionising radiation. The Section has always provided Radiation Protection services to other Hospitals and Trusts but the latter half of the '90s also saw a growth in the purchase of RP services by external companies and Cathy ended up providing Radiation Protection advice to around half the UK capacity for commercial radioactive waste incineration, which took her to places as far apart as Bolton and Plymouth. Cathy has always had a strong interest in the management and disposal of radioactive waste materials and in 1996 she became a member of the Environment Agency North East Region Environmental Protection Advisory Committee. Extensions to her term of office meant that she only left last year. In parallel with this, she was also appointed to, and needless to say chaired, the South Yorkshire Area Environment Group until 2000. In 1998 she was appointed by the Secretary off State for the Environment to membership of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee and served on this committee until it was suspended in 2004. However she continues to represent this committee on the National Dose Assessment Working Group. Cathy has also contributed to IAEA publications and chaired several international advisory groups for the IAEA. She has also undertaken a number of overseas technical co-operation missions for IAEA. Cathy has published and lectured widely on Radiation Protection and is universally respected both within and outwith the Radiation Protection community. She has never failed to make her presence known in everything she has taken on. Regrettably for Medical Physics in Sheffield, Cathy has decided to take voluntary early retirement at the end of March 2005, although she plans to continue as a part-time consultant in the commercial sector and will retain some of her voluntary professional commitments. Her contribution to Radiation Protection in healthcare and her work to protect the environment through the safe disposal of radioactive waste has been exceptional and she will be sorely missed, both in Sheffield and the Medical Physics community at large. Her OBE being awarded at the end of a long and successful career, although coincidental, is a fitting recognition for the work she has done and the contribution she has made and we all wish her well in her retirement. Professor David Barber
Source: IPEM Scope March 2005 Posted 16 March 2005 First announcement and call for papers
British Nuclear Energy Society Central England Branch OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE
TOPICS
ABSTRACTS
CONFERENCE SECRETARY
Sponsored by AWE and UKAEA Poster pdf 300KB Posted 9 February 2005 BNES Workshop on Regulation of the Nuclear Industry, Risley, 26 May 2005 The Risley Centre, Thursday 26 May 2005 at 09.30 The British Nuclear Energy Society is holding a one-day workshop on Regulation of the Nuclear Industry at Risley Centre on Thursday 26 May 2005. At this workshop, after a brief review of the historical context of the legislation, recent developments will be discussed. The morning session will comprise a series of presentations by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. Current topics will be discussed such as the review of licence conditions and the consideration of harmonisation through the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA). The progress with NII's project to benchmark its Safety Assessment Principles with IAEA standards and their revision (which includes their relevance to decommissioning and radioactive waste management) will also be discussed. Another vital subject to be addressed is the expectations for fit for purpose safety cases in the context of decommissioning. The afternoon session will be concerned with the Radioactive Substances Act and its application to the nuclear industry. In particular, developments in the philosophy and procedures for authorisation of discharges of radioactivity will be described by the Environment Agency and this will include discussion of possible changes to allow transfer of authorisations. The functions of the recently-formed Nuclear Waste Assessment Team in relation to solid waste conditioning and packaging will be outlined. In addition, the wider Agency interests in "Modernising Regulation" will be discussed, including the concept of risk-based regulation, and the implications for the nuclear industry considered. Also to be discussed is the Agency's Nuclear Sector Plan. Further details from Ian Andrews, Telephone 020 7665 2241 or e-mail Ian.Andrews@ice.org.uk Posted 3 February 2005 ICRP Committee 1 Task Group Report Low-dose Extrapolation of Radiation-Related Cancer Risk ICRP has published Committee 1 Task Group Report "Low-dose Extrapolation of Radiation-Related Cancer Risk" (ICRP site) for comment. This is one of the foundation documents that will underpin the next full set of ICRP recommendations from the ICRP. As such, it is potentially a very significant document, reviewing the underlying biology, cell effects & responses, carcinogenetic effects, epidemiology and statistic uncertainties. It concludes that there is no particular reason to factor the possibility of a threshold for radiation induced effects into risk calculations for the purposes of radiation protection. The Linear No Threshold (LNT) hypothesis remains a prudent basis for radiation protection at low doses & low dose rates. On this occasion, in view of the specialist content and detail contained in the document, SRP does not propose to carry out a consultation exercise with members, but instead requests members to respond directly to ICRP. We particularly encourage members with expertise in any of the topic areas covered by the publication to review the document and offer comments to ICRP. The closing date for responses to ICRP is 18th March 2005. Sheila Liddle on behalf of SRP Council
Posted 29 January 2005 ETRAP 2005 3rd International Conference on Education and Training in Radiological Protection, Brussels, Belgium, 23-25 November 2005 The conference is jointly organised by the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN) and the Belgian Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC), in cooperation with the European Nuclear Society (ENS). ETRAP 2005 aims to reinforce the contacts between organisations and individuals dealing with education and training in radiological protection on national and international level. In addition to experience sharing and mutual learning, the conference intends to contribute to a better harmonisation of training practice and of skills recognition. Special attention will be paid to networks currently emerging at the European and global level. Both ETRAP 2005 and subsequent ETRAP conferences will provide the necessary platform for a comprehensive and trans-disciplinary approach to education and training in radiological protection. Conference Secretariat: etrap2005@euronuclear.org
ENS - European Nuclear Society - http://www.euronuclear.org/ Other ENS conferences in 2005:
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