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Les Oldridge AIRTE, AMIMI
The carrying of radioactive substances by road (5)
IN last week's article it was stated that the Licensing Authority had to be notified if a carrier operates vehicles from his depot which are carrying radioactive substances. The required notice must state whether or not a scheme of work is to be operated and if it is details of the scheme must be given. For the scheme to receive the LA's approval it must be established that a worker will not receive a dose greater than 375 millirems per quarter. A quarter for this purpose means a period of three months beginning on January 1. April 1. July 1 or October 1 in any year.
Approved scheme Where a carrier is operating an approved scheme of work he must keep records which show, for each approved worker,— (i) the dates on which he travels on vehicles carrying radioactive substances; (ii) the vehicle on which he travels; (iii) the length of time of each such journey; (iv) the estimated maximum radiation dose rate on each such journey; (v) the radiation dose recorded or estimated as having been received by him in the course of his employment otherwise than when on a vehicle.
These records must be kept up to date, be kept for two years and be made available at all reasonable times to the LA's staff for copying or extracting. Where it appears to the LA that an approved worker has been, or is likely to be, exposed to radiation to a greater extent than is envisaged by the scheme of work he will revoke the scheme.
If an approved scheme of work is not established then drivers of vehicles carrying radioactive substances become "classified workers" and the conditions of their employment become far more elaborate. The carrier must provide, and the drivers must wear, a suitable photographic film or dosemeter, obtained from an approved laboratory, during the time he is exposed to radiation to record the radiation dose he receives. This film or dosemeter must be returned to the laboratory at appropriate intervals so that certificates containing particulars of the radiation dose received by the driver can be issued to the carrier.
The carrier must enter on radiation dose cards the radiation dose appearing on these certificates together with the dose received by the driver in any previous employment. These cards must be kept up to date and also show the maximum permissible dose rate for that worker. Like the records kept for an approved scheme worker these cards are open for inspection by the Licensing Authority.
The maximum permitted dose is laid down in the 2nd Schedule to the Regulations. This Schedule is complex, technical and difficult for the layman to comprehend. Obviously, an employer engaged in this type of work would have to co-operate closely with the scientists and doctors to ensure that the health of his employees was not impaired.
Health Register Classified workers are required by the Regulations to be under the supervision of the appointed doctor. For example, as well as having an intitial examination he must be examined by the appointed doctor in the first quarter of any year following a year in which he has received three-tenths of the maximum permitted radiation dose specified in Schedule 2. These examinations may include an examination of the blood of the driver.
The carrier must keep a Health Register at each depot from which he operates vehicles used for the carriage of radioactive substances. This register must contain particulars of all classified workers at the depot and the appointed doctor must enter particulars of all the examinations of workers he makes therein.
Self-employed persons are required to comply with these Regulations in the same way as the employees.