In the past year or so there has been increasing interest, both nationally and internationally, in the development and use of severity scales to describe the impact of incidents and accidents at nuclear installations. The issues involved in developing such scales have been reviewed within the CEGB and the merits and disadvantages of various approaches analysed. The main points to emerge from this review are summarised as an input to the wider debate that is developing, in particular in an international framework, on the potential benefits and uses of severity scales.
The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985-implications for the recording and monitoring of personal radiation doses
D J Coulston 1987 J. Soc. Radiol. Prot. 7 169
View article, The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985-implications for the recording and monitoring of personal radiation dosesPDF, The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985-implications for the recording and monitoring of personal radiation doses
The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985, which came fully into operation on 1st January 1986, providing a coherent set of requirements for all forms of work with ionising radiation. Of particular importance to many employers have been the changes in dose concepts, and hence in the requirements for the recording and monitoring of internal radiation doses, consistent with the principles of ICRP Publication 26. This paper describes those changes against the background of the previous UK requirements under the Nuclear Installations Act and the subsequent practical issues involved in demonstrating compliance.
Prenatal irradiation and childhood cancer
E G Knox et al 1987 J. Soc. Radiol. Prot. 7 177
View article, Prenatal irradiation and childhood cancerPDF, Prenatal irradiation and childhood cancer
Estimates of the relative risk of childhood cancer, following irradiation during fetal life, are reported. They are based upon extended case-control investigations of childhood cancer deaths in England, Wales and Scotland between 1953 and 1979 comprising 14759 geographically-matched and birth-date-matched case/control pairs. The estimates were calculated using Conditional Logistic Regression (Miettinen-Breslow) techniques. This method of risk-estimation limits the distortions caused by confounding factors or by biased selection of controls. Through analysing a range of reported exposures other than radiation, levels of general reporting and recording biases between cases and controls were also assessed. There was no evidence among cases or controls of any systematic reduction in the frequency of pregnancy x-rays between 1950 and 1979. During this period of time, about 7 per cent of all childhood cancers, and 8 per cent of those with onset between the ages of 4 and 7 years, were caused by X-ray examinations. The dose-response relationship was one death per 990 obstetric X-ray examinations; or 2000 deaths per 104 man-Gy.
Measurements of iodine-131
K F Baverstock and C Bowlt 1987 J. Soc. Radiol. Prot. 7 195
Statement from the 1987 Como meeting of the
International Commission on Radiological Protection
1987 J. Soc. Radiol. Prot. 7 189