Recording radiation exposure dose limits as stated by IRR17

14th June 2022

Monitoring classified workers and protecting pregnant members of staff

Schedule 3 of the IRR17 (Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017) states the yearly equivalent dose limit of anyone over the age of 18 to be 20mSv. This is the effective equivalent of a 500mSv skin dose over a 1cm^2 area. If the nature of your workplace means you are likely to receive a dose above 6mSv per year, you are designated as a classified worker.

A classified worker is legally required to have an audit trail of their dose exposure. To prevent them from exceeding their annual dose limit, it also allows adjustments to be made to their work to limit exposure where possible.

Identifying work practises that exceed radiation exposure dose limits

The Tracerco PED Personal Electronic Dosimeter can record every 0.01μSv of exposure and Tracerco’s free DoseVision™ software allows retrospective analysis of all data that the PED records, down to the minute.

This allows you to identify work practices that produce higher-than-expected dose exposure, therefore allowing you to review how that work is performed, and whether there are certain classified workers that need to be avoiding that particular practise.

Southern Scientific’s own Handhound Hand Contamination Monitor produces a clear audit trail for every user, giving you a clear, automated record of extremity doses to hands. Designed to monitor environments where isotopes are handled, it is voice-operated to avoid instrument contamination.

Assisting radiation risk assessments to pregnant members of staff

The information produced by the Tracerco PED and Handhound can assist your radiation risk assessment in identifying whether working conditions need to be altered. This is especially important when a member of staff becomes pregnant or has consecutive years of high-dose exposure.

As soon as an employer is notified of a pregnancy, it needs to be identified if the baby is likely to receive more than 1mSv before its expected due date. If so, your working conditions will need to be altered.

Building a radiation safeguarding framework

These instruments will allow you to be compliant with IRR17 and HSE regulations by delivering:

  • Clear audit trails that assist in the accuracy of your dose exposure records
  • User-defined logs that allow you to easily view who is at the greatest risk
  • Retrospective analysis that allows for the review of risk assessment and identifies work practises that need altering
  • Reassurance to pregnant members of staff, allowing them to view their own doses in real-time and assuring that every necessary precaution is being taken to protect their baby

Find out more

You can learn more about the PED and Handhound by clicking the button below to contact our product specialist directly and have a one-to-one guided demonstration.

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