HEALTH & SAFETY
RADIATION: REDUCTION AND REACTION PLANS
With premature deaths due to radon exposure on the increase, FMs are under pressure to ensure that the proper protection, tests and maintenance plans are in place in their facilities, Peter Warman of Ground Gas Solutions explains how.
Radon is a gas produced from the decay of uranium, a naturally occurring element in the earth’s crust. Radon is radioactive; it emits harmful alpha radiation when it decays.
Radon is present in outdoor and indoor air, usually in small amounts. We breathe it in and out all the time. If a radon atom decays while inside our lungs, the alpha radiation released may damage lung cells, this has the potential to cause lung cancer.
It is estimated that 1,100
people die prematurely every year from radon exposure, just in England and Wales.
Radon gets into buildings through a variety of routes, including directly through floors or walls in contact with soil or through the water or gas supply.
WHERE IS IT FOUND? Radon is known to be associated
with rocks and soils which include granite and shale. The probability of encountering high radon levels has been mapped for the UK in the ‘Indicative Radon Atlas’. Shaded parts of the radon atlas are classed as ‘Radon Affected Areas’, it is important to remember that the atlas is indicative; the only way to know if radon is present is to test for it.
TESTING FOR RADON Radon is commonly tested for, using
passive ‘track etch’ detectors. To observe the likely worst case radon
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levels, testing in the winter months is recommended. Tests should be done in areas of highest occupancy to get an indication of actual exposure. Radon concentrations are highly variable and affected by weather, geology, building use, heating and ventilation systems. A time averaged concentration is therefore a more reliable measure of long term exposure; this test is typically taken over 90 days. Within larger buildings, a good spread of detectors is usually needed as radon concentrations often vary from room to room; interpretation of radon testing results is key.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS High radon levels within buildings
can be considered an engineering fault. Therefore employers have a legal duty, under the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999, to ensure that employees are not exposed to concentrations exceeding the workplace Action Level of 400 Bq m-3. Should radon levels exceed this, provision should immediately be put in place to reduce Radon levels or manage exposure.
In the home, there is an Action Level of 200 Bq m-3; there is no legal requirement to reduce elevated levels, but it is recommended.
RADON AND YOUR
SAFETY POLICY If a workplace is located within a
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