1.4.1 Role of Health Physics Department

The Health Physics Department of a nuclear power station exists to provide a comprehensive radiological service to the station. In doing so the department fulfils the role of adviser on radiological aspects to the Station Manager and other departments and is independent of the production process. Nevertheless, the department is involved with work planning and execution and also carries out an emergency scheme function. The primary objective of the department is to ensure that the work of the station is carried out in a radiologically safe manner with respect to both on-site personnel and off-site members of the public. In enabling this primary objective to be achieved, the department is responsible for effecting a number of specialist health physics work functions:

• Routine contamination and radiation surveys.

• The measurement of radiation doses to employees.

• The assessment of radioactive discharges from site.

• Determining the amount of radioactivity in the environment before and during commissioning and through the operational life of the station.

• Ensuring that radioactive materials which are discharged from site meet the relevant packaging and transport requirements.

• The maintenance and upkeep of records in respect of each of the above.

In addition to these principal work areas, a number of other services may be provided which include asbes­tos monitoring, radiological and conventional first aid duties, noise surveying, carbon dioxide monitoring, specialist training, breathing apparatus and respiratory protection maintenance and repair, job monitoring and a laundry service.