Update on the Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health
Résumé
L’Agence pour l’énergie nucléaire (AEN) est une agence intergouvernementale localisée à Paris, en France. Elle facilite la coopération entre les pays dotés d’infrastructures en technologie nucléaire avancée afin de trouver l’excellence en matière de sûreté, de technologie, de science, d’environnement et de légalisation en ce qui a trait au nucléaire. Le Comité de protection radiologique et de santé publique (CRPPH) de l’AEN aide les pays membres de l’AEN à mettre en pratique des systèmes de radioprotection et à les améliorer. Le CRPPH a tenu sa 76e rencontre annuelle du 10 au 12 avril 2018, afin de revoir son travail actuel et de discuter des directions à prendre. Christina Dodkin, spécialiste en radioprotection à la Commission canadienne de sûreté nucléaire, et représentante canadienne au sein du CRPPH, soumet ici un résumé de la rencontre.
Participants at the 76th Meeting of CRPPH, held April 10 to 12, 2018.
The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is an intergovernmental agency based in Paris, France, that facilitates cooperation among countries with advanced nuclear technology infrastructures to seek excellence in nuclear safety, technology, science, environment, and law. NEA has established a Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health (CRPPH), made up of regulators and radiation protection experts, with the broad mission to assist NEA member countries in the implementation and enhancement of radiological protection systems by:
- providing a high-level, visible forum for exchange and discussion
- seeking common understanding of identified issues
- advancing state-of-the-art radiological protection theory and practice
- advancing policies that bring radiological protection systems more in line with modern societal needs
- promoting international cooperative projects
CRPPH has a number of working parties and expert groups that support its work. Their mandates span nuclear and radiological emergency matters, legacy management, operational and analytical aspects of exposures at nuclear power plants, and implications of international recommendations on the system of radiological protection.
CRPPH works in close cooperation with other NEA committees, including:
- Radioactive Waste Management Committee
- Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities
- Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations
Brian Ahier, director of the Radiation Protection Bureau of Health Canada, and Christina Dodkin, radiation protection specialist with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, represent Canada on CRPPH.
Overview of the 76th Meeting of CRPPH
CRPPH held its 76th annual meeting from April 10 to 12, 2018, in Paris, France, to review its ongoing work and discuss future directions. Observers at the meeting included representatives from:
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)
- International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA)
- UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
At the meeting, CRPPH approved five reports in the following areas:
- Food safety
- NEA International Nuclear Emergency Exercise (INEX-5)
- Legacy management
- Lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident
It also agreed to create two new expert groups:
- Recovery management following a nuclear or radiological emergency
- Implementing the ICRP’s recommended equivalent dose limit for the lens of the eye for occupational exposures
Other highlights from the meeting include the following:
- The status of the NEA International Radiological Protection School, an activity of the CRPPH, was discussed. The pilot will take place August 20 to 24, 2018, at Stockholm University in Sweden.
- CRPPH strongly supported an initiative for global coordination of low-dose radiation research.
- A topical session on radiation risk communication at the meeting prompted CRPPH to include this topic in its future program of work. Accordingly, CRPPH agreed to lead the second NEA Workshop on Stakeholder Involvement in Nuclear Decision Making, which will be held in 2019, with a focus on risk communication.
- CRPPH received an update regarding preparations for NEA’s Fifth Workshop on Science and Values in Radiological Protection Decision Making, which will take place September 19 to 21, 2018, in Milan, Italy (hosted by the University of Milan).
More Information
To learn more, visit the CRPPH overview webpage or contact Christina Dodkin at [email protected].
Christina Dodkin
Christina Dodkin has held a variety of positions within the Atomic Energy Control Board and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). Her experiences range from the regulation of large nuclear facilities to small-scale nuclear substance licensees. Dodkin is currently a radiation protection specialist and CNSC inspector, primarily focused on Canada’s uranium processing facilities.
Christina Dodkin a occupé divers postes au sein d’Énergie atomique du Canada limitée; et de la Commission canadienne de sûreté nucléaire (CCSN). Elle a acquis de l’expérience dans la réglementation de grandes centrales nucléaires, et au sein de titulaires de permis de substances nucléaires à petite échelle. Présentement, elle est spécialiste en radioprotection et inspectrice pour la CCSN ; ses dossiers portent surtout sur les usines canadiennes de transformation de l’uranium.
