A STUDY OF A DOSE CONSTRAINT FOR OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED WORKERS IN THE US NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

One of the most important issues in the nuclear power industry is the implementation of the 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) published in ICRP Publication 103. These recommendations include the implementation of the concept of dose constraints for occupationally exposed workers at nuclear power plants (NPPs). When considering these changes from a cost-benefit standpoint, the implementation of dose constraints is still highly controversial. This study analysed annual occupational dose distributions to determine whether a dose constraint is needed for occupationally exposed workers at the US NPPs. Results of the analysis showed that the use of dose constraints had no positive impact on radiation safety of workers at NPPs in the USA. In fact, it appears that the implementation of dose constraints will impose an unnecessary regulatory burden on licensees. Based on these results, implementation of dose constraints is not recommended.