An Innovative Tool to Control Occupational Radon Exposure

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Occupational Health
• Radiation Protection

Background:

• Indoor radon is a leading cause of lung cancer globally, second only to smoking.
• European Union Directive 2013/59/Euratom sets workplace radon limits (300 Bq/m³ reference level, 20 mSv/year dose limit).
• Mitigation is required if radon levels exceed reference limits, but constructive solutions may not always be feasible.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a method for controlling workers' effective dose below 6 mSv/year when constructive radon mitigation is not feasible.
• To develop a software tool that assists employers in accurately tracking multisite workers' time and radon exposure.
• To ensure compliance with European Union by-laws for workplace radon exposure.

Main Methods:

• Implementing a dose management strategy by controlling worker occupancy time in high-radon areas.
• Developing and utilizing a software tool for individual monitoring of multisite workers.
• Calculating effective dose based on time spent and radon concentration at each worksite.

Main Results:

• The proposed method allows for keeping workers' effective dose below 6 mSv/year, categorizing them as "exposed workers, category B".
• The software tool provides accurate, conservative, and transparent tracking of worker exposure.
• The system facilitates compliance with EU regulations for employers managing workplace radon.

Conclusions:

• Controlling occupancy time is a viable strategy to manage worker radon exposure below regulatory limits.
• The developed software tool simplifies the complex task of monitoring multisite workers' radon exposure.
• This approach balances worker health protection with reduced regulatory burden for employers.