Radioprotection: the 5th HSE objective of 2012

The fifth objective of 2012 in matters of safety at CERN is to increase awareness of best practices in matters of radiation protection and radiation safety all over the laboratory.

The aim of radiation protection is to protect people from potentially harmful effects of ionising radiation linked to CERN activities. Naturally, the objective is to keep doses to a person - be they staff, users, contracting personnel or members of the public - to values not only below legal limits but as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). This is obtained by a proper knowledge of the risks related to ionising radiation at CERN, individual dosimetry, monitoring of ionising radiation at workplaces and in the environment, accurate planning of interventions in accelerator and experimental areas, etc.

The 2012 focus is on job and dose planning, which translates into three main objectives:

1 - Appointment and training of radiation safety support officers (RSSOs) to ensure coverage of all equipment groups working in radiation areas.

2 - Appointment and training of radiation protection experts (RPEs) for non-LHC experiments and continuation of the RPE concept for LHC experiments.

3 - Systematic job planning for interventions during technical stops in 2012, in particular for those classified level 2 and 3 according to CERN’s ALARA criteria.

The Radiation Protection group of the HSE unit is always available to perform radiological measurements, specify protection means and assist accelerator and experimental teams with expert advice on any radiation-related matter.

The HSE Unit will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Contact us at safety-general@cern.ch.

HSE Unit