Protection of workers
Monitoring of radiation exposure and medical surveillance are part of the protection of workers.
Protection includes monitoring the workers’ radiation exposure and assessing their physical condition and follow up, as necessary.
Radiation workers are classified to radiation work categories A and B, and monitoring of radiation exposure and medical surveillance are arranged for each worker based on their category. The classification to different radiation work categories is described in more detail in Guide ST 1.6.
Monitoring of radiation exposure
Monitoring of radiation exposure comprises monitoring of radiation exposure and individual monitoring. Monitoring of working conditions ensures that the work environment is safe. Individual monitoring refers to determining the dose of an individual worker.
Individual monitoring of outside workers
The responsible party must ensure the protection of outside workers in the same way as for its own workers. The responsible party has the obligation to arrange monitoring of working conditions and the necessary individual monitoring, if such measures are not already implemented.
Radiation work abroad
A so-called “radiation passbook” is required for radiation work abroad. The radiation passbook requires a radiological monitoring document, which is ordered from STUK.
Dose Register
The dose register stores the information on all workers who have undergone individual monitoring. This information is used for ensuring worker safety, among other things. Information from the dose register can only be released to authorized persons, such as the worker in question, radiation safety officer or contact person appointed for managing individual monitoring.
Workers’ radiation exposure
Statistics are periodically compiled from the dose register for the purposes of training and regulatory work.
Medical surveillance
Medical surveillance of radiation workers aims to ensure that the workers are fit for radiation work and that their physical condition does not prevent radiation work. STUK must verify the competence of physicians responsible for the medical surveillance of category A workers.