Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017

This month the government published new regulations on Ionising Radiation which will come into force on 1^st January 2018.

The Regulations will replace the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 and implement Euratom’s Basic Safety Standards Directive which covers public, occupational and medical exposures to ionising radiation.

They impose duties on employers to protect employees and other persons against ionising radiation arising from work with radioactive substances and other sources of ionising radiation. Certain duties are also imposed on employees.

The main changes to the legislation include:

• Eye dose limit – the dose limit for exposure to the lens of the eye will be reduced from 150mSv to 20mSv in a year.
• Notifying HSE depending on the level of risk from work carried out with ionising radiation, employers may need to notify, register or get consent from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Employers must do this even if they have already told HSE that they work with ionising radiation.

 

The HSE has published a draft Approved Code of Practice and guidance on work with ionising radiation which can be accessed here.

If you are a LUS subscriber, please refer to the register entry available here.

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