International Conference on Occupational Radiation Protection: Strengthening Radiation Protection of Workers – Twenty Years of Progress and the Way Forward

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is organizing the third International Conference on Occupational Radiation Protection: Strengthening Radiation Protection of Workers - Twenty Years of Progress and the Way Forward from the 5 to 9 September 2022, following the previous two successful conferences in 2002 and 2014. The conference will be hosted by the Government of Switzerland and co-sponsored by the International Labour Organization.

The increasing use of medical procedures utilizing ionizing radiation and better access to this health technology resulted in a rapid increase in the number of occupationally exposed workers in medicine over the years. Substantial occupational exposure may occur in certain medical procedures. It is a continuing challenge, in particular for exposure control and training of healthcare professionals in radiation protection issues.

There is an increasing awareness of the need to protect workers in industries involving Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), and to apply a graded approach by regulators and operators’ resources for the management of worker protection. Sharing of experiences will contribute to the need to establish regulatory requirements for radiation protection in industrial processes involving NORM. Regulation and management of radon exposure in workplaces is also an important topic. 

Many Member States use nuclear energy to meet rapid increase in energy demand. Introduction of nuclear power plants to the so called nuclear embarking countries and designs of new types of nuclear reactors has resulted in some new challenges for occupational radiation protection. As many nuclear reactors are coming to the end of their operating lifecycle, radiation protection of workers during decommissioning activities has increased.

With these issues in mind, and considering current trends and developments, the conference aims to focus efforts in these areas and maximizing the related positive impact for future international work.

Key Deadlines