The design and launch of the International Information System on Occupational Exposure in Medicine, Industry and Research (ISEMIR) to optimise worldwide occupational radiation protection
Abstract
It has been long known that there is a significant potential for industrial radiography personnel to receive non-trivial occupational exposure. In some cases, workers may receive high exposure which can even cause severe health consequences such as radiation burns (1). As such, it is of utmost importance to have a mechanism to ensure sharing and exchanging knowledge and experience for improving occupational radiation protection in industrial radiography.
The international experts group organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Working Group on Industrial Radiography (WGIR), has suggested to create an online tool, the Information System on Occupational Exposure in Medicine, Industry and Research (ISEMIR): Industrial Radiography so called ISEMIR-IR.
ISEMIR-IR is an online database for radiation protection optimization for non-destructive testing companies carrying out industrial radiography. ISEMIR-IR is developed as a web-based tool for a regular data collection and analysis of occupational doses for individuals, and for the use of this information to improve occupational radiation protection.
It assists non-destructive testing (NDT) companies in benchmarking their arrangements in radiation protection and safety, and hence in promoting of, and in implementation of optimization of occupational radiation protection.
ISEMIR-IR online system was designed based on the data from an extensive research of and results of the worldwide surveys. In 2010, surveys were sent to three different actors and responses were received from 432 industrial radiographers from 31 countries, 95 NDT companies from 29 countries, and 59 national regulatory bodies. In order to gain insights into practice of occupational radiation protection, questions referred to radiation protection procedures in place, training, incidents, safety of radiographers, and the use of radioactive sources.
Shortcomings identified in all world regions were a lacking use of collimators/diaphragms, survey meters not as widely available as they should have been, a high frequency of incidents, occupational doses received by radiographers varied considerably with no correlation to a radiographic workload.
The international experts group organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Working Group on Industrial Radiography (WGIR), has suggested to create an online tool, the Information System on Occupational Exposure in Medicine, Industry and Research (ISEMIR): Industrial Radiography so called ISEMIR-IR.
ISEMIR-IR is an online database for radiation protection optimization for non-destructive testing companies carrying out industrial radiography. ISEMIR-IR is developed as a web-based tool for a regular data collection and analysis of occupational doses for individuals, and for the use of this information to improve occupational radiation protection.
It assists non-destructive testing (NDT) companies in benchmarking their arrangements in radiation protection and safety, and hence in promoting of, and in implementation of optimization of occupational radiation protection.
ISEMIR-IR online system was designed based on the data from an extensive research of and results of the worldwide surveys. In 2010, surveys were sent to three different actors and responses were received from 432 industrial radiographers from 31 countries, 95 NDT companies from 29 countries, and 59 national regulatory bodies. In order to gain insights into practice of occupational radiation protection, questions referred to radiation protection procedures in place, training, incidents, safety of radiographers, and the use of radioactive sources.
Shortcomings identified in all world regions were a lacking use of collimators/diaphragms, survey meters not as widely available as they should have been, a high frequency of incidents, occupational doses received by radiographers varied considerably with no correlation to a radiographic workload.
