Department of Energy (DOE) Radiological Control Manual

Radiological Health and Safety Policy

It is the policy of DOE to conduct its radiological operations in a manner that ensures the health and safety of all its employees, contractors, and the general public. In achieving this objective, DOE shall ensure that radiation exposures to its workers and the public and releases of radioactivity to the environment are maintained below regulatory limits and deliberate efforts are taken to further reduce exposures and releases in accordance with a process that seeks to make any such exposures or releases as low as reasonably achievable. The DOE is fully committed to implementing a radiological control program of the highest quality that consistently reflects this policy.

In meeting this policy, DOE shall:

1. Establish and maintain a system of regulatory policy and guidance reflective of national and international radiation protection standards and recommendations. The Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health (or the Director, Naval Reactors, for that program) has responsibility for promulgating and maintaining policies, standards, and guidance related to radiological protection. Departmental radiological protection requirements are, at a minimum, consistent with the Presidentially approved Radiation Protection Guidance to Federal Agencies developed by the Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with its mandated Federal guidance responsibilities. Departmental requirements often are more stringent and reflect, as appropriate, recommendations and guidance from various national and international standards-setting and scientific organizations, including the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, the American National Standards Institute, and others. The DOE requirements related to radiological protection will be set forth, as appropriate, in rules and DOE Orders, and guidance documents will be issued on acceptable means to implement these requirements.

2. Ensure personnel responsible for performing radiological work activities are appropriately trained. Standards shall be established to ensure the technical competency of the DOE work force, as appropriate, through implementation of standardized and mandated radiological training and development programs.

3. Ensure the technical competence of personnel responsible for implementing and overseeing the Radiological Controls Program. An appropriate level of technical competence gained through education, experience, and job-related technical and professional training is a critical component for achieving the goals of the Department's radiological control policy. Qualification requirements commensurate with this objective shall be established for technical and professional radiological control program positions and shall, at a minimum, be consistent with applicable industry standards and promote professional development and excellence in radiological performance.

4. Establish and maintain, from the lowest to the highest levels, line management involvement and accountability for departmental radiological performance. The responsibility for compliance with DOE radiological protection requirements, and for minimizing personnel radiation exposure, starts at the worker level and broadens as it progresses upward through the line organization. The Department's line managers are fully responsible for radiological performance within their programs and the field activities and sites assigned to them, and shall take necessary actions to ensure requirements are implemented and performance is monitored and corrected as necessary.

5. Ensure radiological measurements, analyses, worker monitoring results and estimates of public exposures are accurate and appropriately made. The capability to accurately measure and analyze radioactive materials and workplace conditions, and determine personnel radiation exposure, is fundamental to the safe conduct of radiological operations. Policy, guidance, and quality control programs shall be directed towards ensuring such measurements are appropriate, accurate, and based upon sound technical practices.

6. Conduct radiological operations in a manner that controls the spread of radioactive materials and reduces exposure to the work force and the general public and that utilizes a process that seeks exposure levels as low as reasonably achievable. Radiological operations and activities shall be preplanned to allow for the effective implementation of dose and contamination reduction and control measures. Operations and activities shall be performed in accordance with DOE conduct of operations requirements and shall include reasonable controls directed towards reducing exposure, preventing the spread of radiological contamination, and minimizing the generation of contaminated wastes and the release of effluents.

7. Incorporate dose reduction, contamination reduction, and waste minimization features into the design of new facilities and significant modifications to existing facilities in the earliest planning stages. Wherever possible, facility design features shall be directed towards controlling contamination at the source, eliminating airborne radioactivity, maintaining personnel exposure and effluent releases below regulatory limits and utilizing a process that seeks exposure levels and releases as low as reasonably achievable. Radiological design criteria shall reflect appropriate consensus recommendations of national and international standards setting groups.

8. Conduct oversight to ensure departmental requirements are being complied with and appropriate radiological work practices are being implemented.

All departmental elements shall conduct their radiological operations in a manner consistent with the above policies and objectives.