The EAN produces a regular ALARA Newsletter, widely distributed (especially in Europe), to provide a link between all those concerned with ALARA, mainly the health physicists, but also the managers, the radiation protection organisations, the research bodies, the regulatory bodies, the trade union representatives and the medical doctors. This Newsletter intends to reflect some major aspects of the ALARA life in Europe: evolution of regulations and judicial precedents, results of research, description of existing databases, analyses of dosimetric data, authorities and utilities ALARA programmes, available ALARA tools, need for ALARA improvements, lessons learnt from incidents, and recommendations to EC coming from the panel sessions of the EAN Workshops. Each issue includes one or two feature articles, as well as experts’ viewpoints and ALARA information.
The content of the Newsletter has mainly been provided by EAN Members. However, the EAN Newsletter Editorial Board has decided to also encourage recipients of the Newsletter to submit article for inclusion in future issues. Submitted articles should aim to fit the current ediotorial line and will be selected on that basis.
You are free to translate the Newsletter: As in many countries the English language is not understood by some of the potential addresses of the Newsletter, it has been suggested it should be translated into other languages (Flemish, Spanish, French…). The Network is not able to do this centrally but, as the objective of the Newsletter is to facilitate as wide as possible dissemination of the ALARA culture, every participating organisation may translate the Newsletter and publish it as a ‘common’ publication with the European ALARA Network. Moreover any journal can translate one or more articles in its own publication using its national language, providing the original article in the Newsletter and authors are referenced.
Authors are solely responsible for their publication in this Newsletter. It does not represent the opinion of the community. The community and the Editorial Board are not responsible for any use that might be made of the data appearing therein.
Download the 1st Special Issue of the EAN ALARA Newsletter (PDF format) For the first time, EAN publishes a Special Issue of the ALARA Newsletter. This Issue is specifically dedicated to the 12th EAN Workshop on « ALARA issues arising for Safety and Security of Radiation Sources and Security Screening Devices », which was held in Vienna […]
Download the 26th issue in PDF format
Editorial – EAN is moving forward!
In a brainstorming seminar in 2009, a number of colleagues reflected on the work done and the results achieved by EAN in the last 5 years as well as on future challenges and activities.
Consensus has been achieved on the values shared by those actively involved in the network on the effectiveness of cooperation and networking to improve the practical implementation of the ALARA principle. However, there is still room for improving the dissemination of experience and for better harmonisation in radiation protection policies and practical procedures with regard to the ALARA principle.
New challenges for ALARA are emerging: ICRP is reinforcing the role of optimisation in the implementation of the radiation protection system; new initiatives to maintain the high level of competence and expertise in the radiation protection field are developing on the national, European and international level (see the report on the ETRAP Conference in this Newsletter); the practical implementation of the ALARA principle in the medical sector (see paper Ginjaume et al. on the ORAMED project), as well as in existing exposure situations, in particular for radon and NORM (see paper Wichterey et al. on the 2nd EAN NORM Workshop), is gaining momentum and is seen more and more as a priority. The same is true for developing the ALARA approach to radiation protection culture and the dissemination of the ALARA values through education and training in all sectors. New technologies are arising in different fields which need our attention, for example, the reinforced use of ionising radiation for non-medical purposes (e.g. for security purposes). Among other topics, this has been an issue which was discussed at the 12th EAN Workshop in Vienna (see Summary and recommendations in the Newsletter).
Download the 25th issue in PDF format
Editorial
Eight years ago, when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapsed, it not only left an indelible impression on the planet’s collective memory, it has also led to an international awareness that strengthening security for radioactive materials and nuclear facilities worldwide was a major issue of concern. In 2006, the Litvinenko affair reinforced this awareness. As a consequence, the radiological protection and safety communities, merged into what we might now call the radiation safety community, amongst others, have developed a huge set of recommendations, measures, regulations and laws aimed at countering terrorist attacks, illicit trafficking, and other malevolent acts using or targeting radioactive sources. The aim is to prevent such events, but also to mitigate their consequences if they do occur. These aims inherently require consideration of the optimisation principle in the management – before and after – of emergency situations. There are many issues to explore: the exposures of emergency responders, security staff, supervisors and workers, operators of security-related sources, and the public must be kept as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). It is noted that several recent ICRP recommendations (Publications No. 96, 103, 109 and 111) address these exposure situations, and with this in mind, the next 12th EAN ALARA Workshop will be focussing on these issues.
Download the 24th issue in PDF format
Editorial
Download the 23rd issue in PDF format
Editorial
In February 2008 the revised ICRP Recommendations for a System of Radiological Protection (Publication n° 103) were published, formally replacing the Commissions previous, 1990, Recommendations (see ALARA Newsletter No. 21). They reinforce the principle of optimisation of protection, which should be applicable in a similar way to all exposure situations, subject to restrictions on individual doses and risks: dose and risk constraints for planned exposure situations, and reference levels for emergency and existing exposure situations.
In that context, the present issue of the ALARA Newsletter illustrates how wide the scope of the optimisation of radiological protection is today.
Download the 22nd issue in PDF format
The two first articles of this 22nd issue of the European ALARA Newsletter respectively present the recommendations of the 3rd RECAN Workshop and the summary of the 1st Workshop of the European ALARA Network for NORM. Then, the setting-up of the new Asia Region ALARA Network, ARAN, is evoked. The last article describes and analyses an incident in the medical sector. Following the retirement of the EAN Chairman, C. Lefaure, a new team now manages EAN: the CVs of the members of this team are included in this issue.
Finally, the final programme and the last announcement of the 11th EAN Workshop on "ALARA in Radioactive Waste Management" (Athens, Greece, 9-11 April 2008) is included.
Download the 21st issue in PDF format
In the first article of this 21st issue, L.E.Holm, chairman of ICRP, describes the ICRP’s 2007 recommendations on radiological protection. Then, the conclusions and recommendations of the first EUTERP Workshop on "Minimal qualifications and requirement for recognition of Radiation Protection Experts and Officers" are presented. The third and fourth articles analyse two radiological incidents: the first one deals with the retrieval of a fire damaged gauge containing a radioactive source; the second one deals with an incident during treatment of a breast cancer.
Finally, the first announcement of the 11th EAN Workshop on "ALARA in Radioactive Waste Management" (Athens, Greece, 9-11 April 2008) is included.
Download the 20th issue in PDF format
The 20th issue of the Newsletter presents the conclusions and recommendations of the 10th EAN Workshop on "Experience and new Developments in Implementing ALARA in Occupational, Public and Patient Exposures" (Prague, Czech Republic, September 2006) and those of the 2nd RECAN Workshop on "Implementation of ALARA in Medicine" (Cavtat, Croatia, October 2006). The third article deals with the status of the different concepts of Diagnostic Reference Levels in some European countries. The fourth article describes the statement of the French Nuclear Safety Authorities following several radiotherapy incidents and accidents. Finally, the revised Germand guideline for incorporation monitoring and the implementation of the HASS-directive in Sweden are described.
Download the 19th issue in PDF format
The 19th issue of the Newsletter presents in its first article the new European Radiation Protection Authority Network (ERPAN) and its Terms and References. The second article presents the European Platform on Training and Education in Radiation Protection (EUTERP Platform). Then two articles analyse a radiological
incident. The last article summarizes the update of a survey on justification, optimisation and dose limits in the national regulation of the European Countries.
Finally, the last announcement and the programme of the 10th EAN
Workshop on Experience and new developments in implementing ALARA in
occupational, public and patient exposures (Prague, Czech Republic –
12-15 September 2006) is included.
Download the 15th issue in PDF format
The 15th issue presents the main results of two European studies funded by the Commission after recommendations from the EAN:
It gives also the opportunity to present the first results of the new European studies on occupational exposure (ESOREX) as well as a new project: the European Platform on Training and education in Radiation Protection (EUTERP).