Occupational exposure
EEAE coordinates the individual monitoring of the workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation and maintains the National Dose Registry (Law 4310/2014, Government Gazette 258 / A / 2014). The data of the National Dose Registry are kept by EEAE throughout the professional life of the exposed workers, but also afterwards, until they reach the age of 75; in any case for a period of at least 30 years from the employment end date.
The organization has the prime and exclusive responsibility for the development and implementation of procedures and measures for the radiation protection of exposed workers. More specifically the organization:
(a) takes measures to ensure that exposed workers have acquires a safety culture which includes an individual and collective commitment to safety and protection against ionizing radiation;
(b) establishes and implements a protection and safety programme against ionizing radiation that is appropriate for each exposure situation. The programne includes the establishment of protection and safety objectives, as well as the implementation of appropriate procedures and measures commensurate with the radiation risks associated with the exposure situation,
(c) reviews systematically the programne and its effectiveness, identifies malfunctions or deficiencies and takes measures to prevent their repetition;
(d) ensures that the measures are sufficient to achieve the objectives set.
The exposed worker:
(a) complies with the instructions concerning safety and protection rules and the instructions concerning the radiation protection measures in place;
b) takes care of the information and training in radiation protection so that he/she is able to identify and suggest ways to improve radiation protection in the workplace. These proposals are examined by the organization.
The exposed workers, for reasons of supervision and monitoring, are classified as follows:
Category Α: the exposed workers who are liable to receive an effective dose higher than 6 mSv per year or an equivalent dose higher than 15 mSv per year for eye lens or higher than 150 mSv per year for skin and extremities;
Category Β: the exposed workers that are not classified as category A workers.
According to the radiation protection regulations (Presidential decree 101/2018, Government Gazette 194/A/20.11.2018) the category A workers must be systematically monitored based on individual measurements. The monitoring of category B workers must prove at least that those workers have been correctly classified in that category. EEAE may require individual monitoring and, if necessary, individual measurements by a dosimetry service of category B workers.
Special care is taken for the outside workers. The term "outside worker" is used for any exposed worker who is not employed by the organization responsible for the supervised and controlled areas, but works in those areas, including apprentices and students. The individual monitoring systems applicable to outside workers should provide protection equivalent to the protection ensured for exposed workers who are permanently employed by an organization.
Internal dosimetry
In case of internal exposure due to a radionuclide or mix of radionuclides, appropriate algorithms are used to estimate the effective dose, taking into account the quantities and the characteristics of the radionuclides, the pathway, the duration of uptake, biokinetics etc.
External dosimetry
For external irradiation:
- personal dose equivalent of 10 mm depth, Hp (10) is used as a conservative approach to estimate effective dose, in case that personal protective equipment is not used. In case of personal protective equipment use, appropriate conversion algorithms are used;
- personal dose equivalent 3 mm depth, Hp (3) is used for the estimation of the equivalent dose for the eye lens;
- personal dose equivalent of 0.07 mm depth, Hp (0.07) is used for the estimation of the dose equivalent for skin and the extrenities as a result of whole-body external irradiation. In case of partial irradiation of the skin or extremities, appropriate conversion algorithms are used.
Individual dosimetry services are provided in Greece by Personal Dosimetry Department of EEAE or authorized dosimetry services.