Solicitud directa (CEACR) - Adopción: 1995, Publicación: 83ª reunión CIT (1996)

Convenio sobre la protección contra las radiaciones, 1960 (núm. 115) - Reino Unido de Gran Bretaña e Irlanda del Norte (Ratificación : 1962)

1. Article 3, paragraph 1, and Article 6, paragraph 2, of the Convention. With reference to its 1992 General Observation on this Convention and its previous direct request, the Committee notes the Government's information in its report that preparations have commenced for a revision of the Ionizing Radiation Regulations 1985, and that dose limits under these Regulations will be amended when the 1990 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection are incorporated into a revised Euratom Directive likely to be adopted during 1995. The Committee notes with interest that pending the revision of the 1985 Regulations, the Health and Safety Commission has approved the Code of Practice (Part 4) entitled "Dose limitations - Restriction of exposure", providing additional guidance on Regulation 6 of the Ionizing Radiation Regulations 1985, on appropriate actions to keep doses as low as reasonably practicable and to control doses received by individual workers, as an interim measure. The Committee hopes that the Government will soon be in a position to provide information on the provisions adopted, in the light of the 1990 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP Publication No. 60), and the 1994 International Basic Safety Standards, and that it will supply a copy of the Regulations as amended.

2. Article 7, paragraph 2. In its previous direct request, the Committee had once again drawn the Government's attention to the lack of regulatory or legislative provisions expressly prohibiting persons under 16 years of age from being engaged in work involving ionizing radiations, and asked for information on progress made in this regard. The Committee notes with interest the assurance of the Government in its report that the explicit prohibition of the employment of persons under 16 years of age in work involving ionizing radiations will be incorporated into the revision of Ionizing Radiation Regulations 1985, and looks forward to learning of the adoption of that amendment.

3. Article 8. The Committee notes with interest the adoption and coming into force of the Ionizing Radiations (Outside Workers) Regulations 1993, which provide for the operational protection of outside workers exposed to the risk of ionizing radiation during their activities in controlled areas. The Committee hopes that the Government will provide information in its next report on the application of these Regulations in practice.

4. Emergency exposure situations. In its previous direct request the Committee noted that there were no special dose limits set for accident and emergency situations in the Ionizing Radiation Regulations 1985, and asked for an indication of steps taken in relation to the matters raised in paragraphs 16 to 27 and 35(c) of its 1992 General Observation, concerning the limitation of occupational exposure during and after an emergency. The Committee notes the Government's information in its report that the conclusions of a currently ongoing revision of its legislation concerning accident preparedness will be incorporated into the revision of the Ionizing Radiation Regulations 1985. It also notes that this revision will take into account the 1990 Recommendations of the ICRP, the 1994 International Basic Safety Standards, and the Euratom Basic Safety Standards Directive when adopted, and will set out different permissible levels of exposure for practice and for emergency situations. Recalling that protection against accidents and emergencies should encompass the justification of practices which may give rise to emergencies, the optimization of protection during accidents and emergency work, and a strict definition of emergency tasks for which normal dose limits may be exceeded, the Committee hopes that the Government will provide information on the provisions adopted and that it will supply a copy of the Regulations as amended.

5. The provision of alternative employment. With reference to the explanations provided in paragraphs 28 to 34 and 35(d) of its 1992 General Observation on the Convention, and the principles reflected in paragraphs 96 and 238 of the 1994 International Basic Safety Standards, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on measures taken or contemplated to ensure effective protection of workers who have accumulated exposure beyond which an unacceptable risk of detriment is to occur and who may thus be faced with the dilemma that protecting their health means losing their employment.

6. The Committee notes the indication in the Health and Safety Commission Statement on Radiation Protection in the United Kingdom that a report on trends in occupational exposure since 1986, based on CIDI data, was to be published in the summer of 1993. The Committee requests the Government to provide a copy of this report.

[The Government is asked to report in detail in 1998.]