G. LINSLEY, Private Consultant (Formerly Head, Waste Safety Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna), UK

Abstract: The regulatory framework for providing the radiological protection of workers and the public is based on the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). In the safety standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) the recommendations of the ICRP are adapted to a form suitable for regulatory use. In this chapter, the international system for radiological protection as applied to operations in the nuclear fuel cycle is described with reference to the relevant recommendations of the ICRP and the safety standards of the IAEA. The scientific basis for the recommendations of the ICRP is briefly described and key aspects of radiation protection in uranium mining and milling, in the operation of nuclear power plants, in the decommissioning of facilities and in radioactive waste management are discussed.

Key words: radiological protection, radiological quantities and units, effects of radiation, ICRP system of radiological protection, justification, optimization, dose limits, IAEA safety standards, uranium mining and milling, nuclear power plants, decommissioning, radioactive waste management.

2.1 Introduction

The various activities of the nuclear fuel cycle inevitably involve the exposure of workers and, in some cases, the public to the hazards of ionizing radiation. This means that precautions, in the form of design features and operational procedures, are necessary at each stage to avoid or minimize human exposure. Radioactive materials are different from most other hazardous materials because, in addition to the hazard presented due to the possible intake of the materials into the human body, they present an external hazard. The need to both shield radioactive material to absorb radiation and to contain it in order to prevent or reduce human exposure by intake influences the design and operation of nuclear fuel cycle activities.

The framework for providing radiological protection is usually contained in laws and regulations, which make it legally binding on users of ionizing radiation to provide for the protection of workers and the public. While regulatory frameworks providing for the radiation protection of workers and the public are in place in all countries of the world where ionizing radiations are being applied in medicine, research and industry, they vary both in form and currency. The reasons for this are related to the differences in the nature of the legal and regulatory systems in each country. Furthermore, the process for updating laws and regulations can be slow — leading to regulations on radiation protection in many countries being out of date in relation to current international recommendations. For these reasons, the focus in this chapter is on the international recommendations and standards that serve as a basis for national regulations.

In this chapter, radiation protection in the context of the nuclear fuel cycle is addressed, first, by describing the international system of radiological protection as recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Next, the international safety standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which adapt the recommendations of the ICRP into a regulatory form, are described. The radiological protection issues associated with some of the main areas of the nuclear fuel cycle are then discussed and, finally, some possible future issues and trends are considered.