HEALTH & SAFETY RADON: TO TEST IS BEST
Ground Gas Solutions explain why it is so important to monitor Radon levels in the workplace to protect staff from its harmful invisible effects.
If I were to tell you that there was a gas in the air we breathe that is tasteless, colourless and odourless, you’d probably respond that this is not uncommon and is similar to other gases we breathe in, such as oxygen and nitrogen. The big difference with the gas in question is that it is the second highest cause of lung cancer in the UK (after smoking), prompting approximately 2000 premature deaths per annum, and accounts for around 50% of our radiation exposure each year! Such statistics certainly make a person sit up and pay attention, which is why focus on radon has increased in recent years, resulting in better awareness, more widespread testing and the application of appropriate remediation.
Nonetheless, it is a good idea to remind ourselves of the properties of radon, how and where it can be detected, and how its risks can be mitigated in the workplace.
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can be found all over the world. It forms from uranium, which is concentrated in granite, meaning radon is found in all rocks and soils that derive from granite, including most sedimentary rocks like limestone and shale. Other sources of radon can include building materials and water extracted from wells in radon affected areas.
In the UK, the average background concentration of radon in an indoor space is 20 Becquerel per cubic metre (Bq m-3), with the current action level for workplaces under the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 set at 400 Bq m-3. Employers are responsible for ensuring regular testing within their premises to safeguard employees from exposure to unacceptable radon levels. Should elevated levels be detected, employers
54 | TOMORROW’S FM “IT ACCOUNTS
FOR AROUND 50% OF OUR RADIATION EXPOSURE
EACH YEAR.”
must ensure that reduction measures are implemented.
The UK ‘Indicative Radon Atlas’ highlights likely radon affected areas. However, this map is purely suggestive and the best way to assess the radon levels in your workplace is to test.
The only way to determine the actual presence of radon within a building is to measure the concentrations directly. The actual radon risk
“RADON IS THE
SECOND HIGHEST CAUSE OF LUNG
CANCER IN THE UK, AFTER SMOKING.”
will depend on the site-specific characteristics of the building and how it is used. The building’s design, ventilation and heating systems will affect the levels of radon. As a result, testing in the winter months is recommended in order to observe the likely worst case radon levels, when ventilation is low and heating is high.
Longer periods of testing are likely to provide more accurate results, with a recommended radon testing period of three months or more. The most common test is conducted using a ‘track etch’ detector, which is a small device placed in high- occupancy rooms during winter months, when radon levels are normally highest, and are typically exposed for 90 days. This will provide a time-averaged reading over the exposure period, where variables such as weather, ground conditions, building use, heating and ventilation can be taken into account.
The good news is that something can be done to reduce radon in buildings to acceptable levels. Awareness of the presence of radon is not new and remediation technologies for mitigation have been around for a number of years. However, it is paramount that the test results are interpreted correctly, leading to appropriate remedial measures being implemented.
If high levels are found, it is possible to retrofit reduction measures like radon sumps. These are excavated areas below the building, fitted with pipework leading outside. Electric fans create negative pressure in the sump below the ground, attracting radon gas that is then exhausted to atmosphere. Such installations require professional expertise, and using specialist radon contractors approved by the Radon Council is recommended.
www.groundgassolutions.com
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