Star Wars Droids and Designation of Areas
Jonathan Wright is a Radiation Protection Adviser at Nuvia, having previously worked as a Health Physicist and Nuclear Safety Consultant. He has a wide range of experience in the nuclear and non-nuclear sectors.
One of the most important( and effective) administrative measures in controlling worker radiation exposures, and ensuring that worker doses are maintained at“ ALARP” levels, is the designation of areas. This involves determining whether radiologically hazardous areas are either“ controlled” or“ supervised”.
Designation of areas is a key requirement of the Ionising Radiations Regulations, with regulations 17-20 devoted to this topic. The key to being effective is that everyone understands the designation, so they know about the potential presence of radiological hazards in an area and what they are. Area designations dictate requirements for access controls, training, worker classification, dosimetry and much more.
In the non-nuclear sector, it is most common that areas are designated simply either as controlled or as supervised- or not designated at all( following the Approved Code of Practice and guidance which accompany the regulations). Even with such limited options there is always room for
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