rOWARDS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ALARA IN TRANSPORT

Radiation exposures are required to be kept as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA), economic and social factors being taken into account. The optimisation of protection is one of the principles of the system of radiological protection recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP 1990). The ALARA principle is frequently appealed to in transport but its implementation is rarely documented: a structured approach is required to assist management, workers and regulators in applying it For transport workers it is possible to obtain data on the level of individual doses likely to be incurred in well-managed operations. This information can then be used as an example of good practice for other comparable situations. It will also enable trends in exposures to be identified and examined. Guidance on the optimisation of radiation protection in the transport of radioactive material has been published by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA 1986): this guidance is being updated.