Lucie D'Ascenzo

"Occupational Exposure to Natural Radiation", Augsburg, Germany, October 2005 

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See the pictures of the 9^th Workshop

The aim of the 9^th EAN Workshop was to focus on exposures arising from natural radiation sources in the workplace, in particular from Naturally Occuring Radioactive Materials (NORM) and from radon gas. Assumptions lead to estimate that it concerns approximately 100 000 workers in the NORM area in Europe and may be up to 1 000 000 exposed workers to radon.

The objectives of the Workshop were to consider the following questions:

• How can the commitment to radiation protection be encouraged and increased?
• How should exposure management (for NORM and radon in the workplace) be improved?

More than 50 participants from 14 European countries attented the Workshop as well as representatives of 3 International Organisations with . In total, there were 23 oral presentations, and 6 posters presentations, organised under the following subjects:

• Introduction and scene setting
• Increasing the commitment to radiation protection
• Managing exposures from radon and NORM

Two afternoon sessions were devoted to discussions in small groups on the following specific issues:

• Types of regulation and the optimisation of protection
• Communication and stakeholder involvement
• Practical management of radon exposures
• Practical management of NORM exposures

The reports from these Working Groups were presented and discussed on the final day, from which the key findings and the 8 recommendations from the Workshop were derived.

"Occupational Radiological Protection Control through Inspection and Self-assessment", Uppsala, Sweden, September 2004

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The 8^th EAN Workshop was devoted to “Occupational Radiological Protection Control through Ispection  and Self- assessment”. The objective of the Workshop was “to assess how regulatory authorisation and inspection, and internal controls (peer reviews, self assessment, etc.) contribute to achieving ALARA for occupational exposure”. A total of 70 participants from 19 European countries attended the Workshop; respectively half and one third of the audience were from the regulatory bodies and utilities from medical and industry sectors.

In total, there were 14 oral presentations, and 10 poster presentations, organised under the following titles:

• Setting the Scene
• Regulatory Bodies and Control Organisations
• Licensees and
• Workers

The opening session included a presentation of the results of an EAN questionnaire on the size and structure of national regulatory authorities. It also identified a series of issues and questions for later consideration by the Working Groups. Half of the time was devoted to this discussions in small groups on the following specific issues:

• Inspection
• Self assessment
• Workers’ involvement and
• Communication between stakeholders

8 main recommendations were produced and unanimously agreed on by the participants. They are dealing with inspectors training,as well as with the facts – that self assessment should become a regulatory requirement and give rise to guidance – and that the workers themselves should become active “stakeholders” in these processes – or that regulatory bodies network should be set up to harmonising inspections.

"Decommissioning of Installations and Site Remediation", Arnhem, The Netherlands, October 2003

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The 7^th EAN Workshop was devoted to “decommissioning and site remediation”. This was the first time that a workshop re-visited a specific topic: the 1^st EAN Workshop (Saclay, 1997) was devoted to “ALARA and decommissioning”. The main objectives of the workshop were to provide a means of reviewing the recommendations of the first Workshop, progress made in the application of ALARA in decommissioning and the remaining needs both in the nuclear and non-nuclear sectors.

Some 60 participants from 11 European countries attended the Workshop. There were 20 oral presentations, mainly devoted to case studies of work undertaken in a variety of different situations (from accelerators and hot cells, to mineral wool (NORM) facilities and contaminated apartments). In addition to a scene setting session there were sessions on:

"Occupational Exposure Optimisation in the Medical and Radiopharmaceutical Sectors", Madrid, Spain, October 2002

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The 6^th EAN Workshop on "Occupational Exposure optimisation in the Medical and Radiopharmaceutical sectors" allowed more than 80 participants from 12 European countries, to attend to 31 high level oral presentations and to discuss more than 20 posters. It has been officially supported by the International Society of Radiographers & Radiological Technologists and some National Societies of medical physicists, health physics and nuclear medicine like . The participants were a mix of most concerned stakeholders: international bodies such as IAEA, national regulatory bodies, health physicists, physician from different fields, radiographers, radio pharmaceuticals manufacturers, trainers and other types of experts.

The work in small groups on six topics has been very fruitful and led to more than 12 recommendations dealing with the necessity of national and international practical guidance’s on many specific items, the role of qualified experts, the prior risk assessment, the training, the development of specific operational dosimeters:

1. Impact of BSS on Radiation Protection in the Medical Field;
2. Radiation Protection Training in the Medical Field;
3. Dose Monitoring and Medical Surveillance;
4. How to improve Safety Culture in the Medical Field;
5. Occupational Exposure for Pregnant Workers;
6. Links between Patient and Worker Doses.

"Industrial Radiography: Improvements in Radiation Protection", Rome, Italy, October 2001

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The 2^nd EAN Workshop on “Good Radiation Practices in Industry and Research” made a number of recommendations. For industrial radiography, improvements in radiographic equipment safety and worker training were key recommendations. This, the 5^th Workshop has taken the recommendations of the 2^nd workshop as a starting point.

About 70 representatives from 21 countries took part in that 5^th Workshop. Most of the concerned stakeholders were represented: International Organisations (International Atomic Energy Agency-IAEA, European Commission-EC), national regulatory bodies, Non Destructive Testing (NDT) companies or professional organisations, client companies, , industrial radiography apparatus manufacturers, radiological protection training organisations, qualified experts, research centres… Special mention should be given to the role of IAEA in supporting the participation of countries from the Middle East and Eastern and Central Europe.

That Workshop allowed all stakeholders to discuss more than 20 oral and 10 posters presentations. Six working groups were respectively devoted to: “regulation”, “incidents, accidents, near misses”, “work organisation”, “training”, “safety culture” and “equipment”. Finally, that three days Workshop has led to several conclusions and recommendations for the improvement of workers radiological protection in industrial radiography.