Radiation protection of workers Shengli Niu April 2011 SafeWork Information Note Series SafeWork Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment Information Note No. 1 Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork) International Labour Offi ce (ILO) Route des Morillons 4 CH-1211 Geneva 22 Switzerland Tel: +4122.799.67.15 Fax: +4122.799.68.78 Email: [email protected] ilo.org/safeworkRadiation protection of workers The purpose of this Information Note is to provide information about the size of the workforce affected by, and the occupational activities associated with, exposure to radiation and the relevant ILO instruments on the protection of workers. Radiation and the world of work Ionizing radiations are part of the human environment (for example, cosmic rays and naturally occurring radioactive materials). They include X-rays and gamma rays (electromagnetic radiations) as well as corpuscular radiations (subatomic particles: alpha, beta and neutron radiations). Ionizing radiations can induce acute effects (for example, burns) and long-term effects (for example, cancer and hereditary diseases), which are also known as non-stochastic (deterministic) and stochastic effects. Radioactive sources are used throughout the world for a wide variety of beneficial purposes in industry, medicine, research, agriculture and education. The combination of improved health services and an ageing population has resulted in an increased use of radionuclides and radiation in diagnosis and treatment. The threat of terrorism, the potential malicious use of radioactive sources, cost-related pressure and the spread of the use of nuclear devices oblige government authorities to take radiation protection and safety more seriously than ever before. Green energy production and the rise of nuclear power The demand for electricity is rapidly increasing in many developing countries. The use of nuclear power to produce electricity involves almost no CO2 emissions. Climate change and
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 08:21:14 +0000
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