• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.222-228
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• 2017

Background: On June 18, 2017, Korea's first commercial nuclear reactor, the Kori Nuclear Power Plant No. 1, was permanently suspended, and the capacity of nuclear power generation facilities will be adjusted according to the governments denuclearization policy. In these circumstances, it is necessary to assess the quality of radiation safety management in nuclear power plants in Korea by evaluating the radiation dose associated with them. Materials and Methods: The average annual radiation dose per unit, the annual radiation dose per person, and the annual dose distribution were analyzed using the radiation dose database of nuclear reactors for the last 5 years. The results of our analysis were compared to the specifications of the Nuclear Safety Act and Medical Law in Korea. Results and Discussion: The annual average per unit radiation dose of global major nuclear power generation was 720 man-mSv, while that of Korea's nuclear power plants was 374 manmSv. No workers exceeded 50 mSv per year or 100 mSv in 5 years. The individual radiation dose according to occupational exposure was 0.59 mSv for nuclear workers, 1.77 mSv for non-destructive workers, and 0.8 mSv for diagnostic radiologists. Conclusion: The radiation safety management of nuclear power plants in Korea has achieved the best outcomes worldwide, which is considered to be the result of the as-low-as-reasonably-achievable (ALARA) approach and strict radiation safety management. Moreover, the occupational exposures were also very low.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.213-217
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• 2021

Background: Radiation exposure can occur as a result of occupational activities utilizing sources of radiation. The average level of occupational exposure is generally similar to the global average, but some workers receive more than this. In this study, the occupational exposure data for workers in Korea to check the recent trend of radiation exposure. Materials and Methods: The data collection and analysis are carried out by two separate periods based on the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) survey. One is the year 2003 to 2014 for a recent survey, and the other is 2015 to 2019. All available data were collected by annual reports from radiation dose registry organizations. Results and Discussion: The annual dose over the record level to the total workers did not change much compared with the total increasing number of workers in this period. The dose to the nuclear fuel cycle field has a tendency to decrease. It resulted from the efforts of radiation dose reduction with high technology introduced to this area. Also, it is important result that the radiation dose to the workers in radiography is remarkably reduced. Conclusion: The number of radiation workers and average doses were analyzed for occupational categories in Korea. It still needs cooperative efforts between the dose registry organizations for the efficient dose management of Korean radiation workers.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.146-155
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• 2016

As the probability of exposure to radiation increases due to an increase in the use of radioisotopes and radiation generators, the importance of a radiation safety management field is being highlighted. We intend to help radiation workers with exposure management by identifying the degree of radiation exposure and contamination to determine an efficient method of radiation safety management. The personal exposure doses of the radiation workers at the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences measured every quarter during a five-year period from Jan. 1, 2011 till Dec. 31, 2015 were analyzed using a TLD (thermoluminescence dosimeter). The spatial dose rates of radiation-controlled areas were measured using a portable radioscope, and the level of surface contamination was measured at weekly intervals using a piece of smear paper and a low background alpha/beta counter. Though the averages of the depth doses and the surface doses in 2012 increased from those in 2011 by about 14%, the averages were shown to have decreased every year after that. The exposure dose of 27 mSv in 2012 increased from that in 2011 in radiopharmaceutical laboratories and, in the case of the spatial dose rate, the rate of decrease in 2012 was shown to be similar to the annual trend of the whole institute. In the case of the surface contamination level, as the remaining radiation-controlled area with the exception of the I-131 treatment ward showed a low value less than $1.0kBq/m^2$, the annual trend of the I-131 treatment ward was shown to be similar to that of the entire institute. In conclusion, continuous attention should be paid to dose monitoring of the radiation-controlled areas where unsealed sources are handled and the workers therein.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2020

Background: Kori unit #1 is permanently shut down after a 40-year lifetime. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission recommends establishing initial decommissioning plans for all nuclear and radwaste treatment facilities. Therefore, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) must establish an initial and final decommissioning plan for radwaste-treatment facilities. Radiation safety assessment, which constitutes one chapter of the decommissioning plan, is important for establishing a decommissioning schedule, a strategy, and cost. It is also a critical issue for the government and public to understand. Materials and Methods: This study provides a method for assessing external radiation dose to workers during decommissioning. An external dose is calculated following each exposure scenario, decommissioning strategy, and working schedule. In this study, exposure dose is evaluated using the deterministic method. Physical characterization of the facility is obtained by both direct measurement and analysis of the drawings, and radiological characterization is analyzed using the annual report of KAERI, which measures the ambient dose every month. Results and Discussion: External doses are calculated at each stage of a decommissioning strategy and found to increase with each successive stage. The maximum external dose was evaluated to be 397.06 man-mSv when working in liquid-waste storage. To satisfy the regulations, working period and manpower must be managed. In this study, average and cumulative exposure doses were calculated for three cases, and the average exposure dose was found to be about 17 mSv/yr in all the cases. Conclusion: For the three cases presented, the average exposure dose is well below the annual maximum effective dose restriction imposed by the international and domestic regulations. Working period and manpower greatly affect the cost and entire decommissioning plan; hence, the chosen option must take account of these factors with due consideration of worker safety.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.234-236
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• 2013

Some of radioactive contamination is unavoidable in the facilities using the unsealed radioactive material. The primary purpose of radioactive contamination control in the workplace with contamination concern is the effects from the potential intake of radioactive material into the body. This paper provides procedures to estimate the level of internal exposure for the worker based on the conservative assumptions and simple calculations. They consist of two processes; to calculate air concentration of radioactive material and annual intake by inhalation with contaminated air and to compare each of them to Derived Air Concentration and Annual Limit on Intake mentioned in the related notification. The procedures are applicable to make a decision on practical requirements for monitoring air contamination and internal exposure of worker as follows; needs for measurement of air contamination and internal exposure and acquisition of information on the design of the ventilation system.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.367-373
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• 2017

The O2O service is an efficient way to operate based on systematic connection of the offline and online states. At present, education, health checkups, and exposure management of radiation workers are separated from offline and online at nuclear-related workplaces. Therefore, we developed a radiation workers management program at the workplace and tried to link online and offline states. After applying the program to the local network, we developed a written employee management system as a computer program and applied it to radiation workers and radiation safety managers at a university hospital in Daejeon using a questionnaire. As a result of the survey, the results of this program can enhance the awareness of safety management and work convenience. There is also a demand for radiation closed workers as well as radiation relative workers. It will be necessary to collect opinions regarding the characteristics of each workplace for the generalization of the radiation workers management program. As a result, real-time radiation safety management and work improvement can be expected through network connections between the workplace, supervisory authority, and related organizations in the future. If a circle structure is formed using the employee management program, development of radiation safety management can be expected.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.2_spc
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• pp.317-325
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• 2020

The Korea Radioactive Waste Agency plans to expand the storage capacity of radioactive waste by constructing a radioactive waste inspecting building to solve the problem of the lack of inspection space and drum-handling space in the radioactive waste receipt and storage building for the first-stage disposal facility. In this study, the exposure doses of radiation workers that handle new disposal containers for decommissioning waste in the storage areas of the radioactive waste inspecting building were calculated using the Monte Carlo N-particle transport code. The annual collective dose was calculated as a total of 84.8 man-mSv for 304 new disposal containers and an estimated annual 306 working hours for the radiation work. When the 304 new disposal containers (small/medium type) were stored in the storage areas, it was found that 25 radiation workers should be involved in acceptance/disposal inspection, and the estimated exposure dose per worker was calculated as an average annual value of 3.39 mSv. When the radiation workers handle the small containers in high-radiation dose areas, the small containers should be shielded further by increasing the concrete liner thickness to improve the work efficiency and radiation safety of the radiation workers. The results of this study will be useful in establishing the optimal radiation working conditions for radiation workers using the source term and characteristics of decommissioning waste based on actual measurements.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.313-320
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• 2012

Current medical institutions with the development of medical technology to the increased demand for health use of radiation equipment is increasing rapidly. Direct radiation from the patient receives the aim of reducing exposure as much as possible is important and the spatial dose of scattered radiation with in the space to engage in reducing healthcare physician, radiation workers and carers need to reduce indirect exposure. X-ray radiation workers and caregivers in the X-ray room to wearing of protective clothing is advised. However Radiation worker sand caregivers of patients with secondary is done, by wearing protective clothing to wear protective clothing because of the weight and discomfort have been neglected. In this study, based on the presence or absence of clothing scattered radiation from space to measure distances, depending on the horizontal and height by measuring the angle of the importance of wearing protective clothing were investigated.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 2007

Background & Objectives: International radiation protection committee recognized the importance of radiation protection from medical practices because the exposure to the radiation in medical practice is higher than any other exposure. The factors on knowledge, attitude and practice of radiation safety of the medical workers engaged in radiation were analyzed in order to improve radiation safety technology. Method: Questionnaires were used for 1200 radiation workers in medical institution from July 23 through September 4 and collected for analysis. Results: Different level of safety measures were practiced by age, marital status, career, and medical facility. The difference was statistically significant. Higher levels of safety measures were practiced in the age group of 50s and married persons. The workers who have more than 20 years experience have higher level of safety measures. The workers of health centers have higher level of safety measures to compare with other workers. The factors which give more concerns on safety practice were self efficacy, practice and knowledge in order. Conclusion: Safety conscious operators should get additional education program to maintain higher level of safety. The operators who do not have much safety concern should be intensive training program for self efficacy and safety.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.149-157
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• 1998

An analysis has been performed to estimate the additional number of workers and the additional collective dose in man-cSv which would be required, nuclear industry-wide as a result of reducing individual dose limit. This analysis can be extended to the reduction in the dose limits recommended by ICRP Publ.60 and BEIR V report as well as the proposed dose limits by regulatory authorities. An industry-wide database was employed in the analysis based on a summary of industry-wide occupational radiation exposure compiled by the Korea Radioisotope Association. Correlation model was employed to compute the affects of setting specific annual individual dose limits. In this study, we have addressed worker non-productivity while in the radiation environment on a parametric or 'sensitivity analysis' basis. This alleviates the need for developing such data underlying a summation of many individual tasks at many nuclear facilities. It has the advantage that very low non-productivity assumptions can readily be defended as conservative, in that it is difficult to approach such low worker non-productivity factors even in the best of environments in any industry. On a per facility basis, for calendar year 1997, the number of workers required would be increased from 231 workers to 269 workers and collective man-cSv dose would be also increased by approximately fourteen percent if the individual dose limit was reduced to 2 cSv/y and an individual worker non-productivity fraction of 0.1 is assumed.