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

Control of natural radon exposure to workers in schools and educational establishments in the Czech Republic

Not scheduled

1h 30m

Geneva

Poster 5. Occupational radiation protection in the workplaces involving exposure to naturally occurring radioactive material, radon and cosmic rays Session 7. Occupational radiation protection in the workplaces involving exposure to naturally occurring radioactive material, radon, and cosmic rays

Speaker

Marcela Bercikova

Description

State office for Nuclear Safety (SONS) has been dealing with the issue of radon in schools for a long time. Many measurements have been made under the Radon Programme, and schools have been regularly encouraged to measure and, where necessary, implement protective measures - which may not be costly in nature but can still be very effective. These measurements were voluntary with a concern for a healthy working environment for staff and pupils.
The new legislation has set new obligations for the workplace operator and also for the owner of a school building and educational establishment, effective from February 2018 if at least one of the following conditions is met:
When the school building is constructed, a building permit or a permit similar in content was issued before 28 February 1991 (before the first radon regulation came into effect), and the school building is constructed in one of the areas of the listed municipalities where there is a high probability that high radon concentrations will be detected.
The school building has undergone structural changes that could affect the radon concentration inside the building (typically, this may include, for example, insulation of the building, introduction of controlled ventilation or air conditioning), and subsequently, no measurement of the radon concentration has been made to confirm that the specified reference level has not been exceeded,
the school building has been measured in the past (for whatever reason) to exceed the reference level of 300 Bq/m3 for the radon activity level (OAR), regardless of whether it is present in the named municipality, and no anti-radon measure has been taken to confirm its effectiveness

The operator of the workplace that meets one of the conditions must comply with the obligations set out in the Atomic Energy Act:
1. notify information about the site to the SONS (the pre-defined registration form)
2. arrange for radon measurements and, if the situation requires, determination of the effective dose to employees
3. inform workers of possible increases in radon exposure
If the volumetric activity of radon in the indoor air of a building exceeds the reference level, the owner of the building must take measures to reduce the exposure to a level as low as reasonably achievable, taking into account all economic and social considerations.
The poster will also include information on the process of managing the regulation and control of the workplace and the current results of measurements and anti-radon measures taken to reduce radon exposure.

Presentation materials

Poster Geneva_29_ final_Bercikova.pdf