More than 300 users worldwide have already signed up to two new e-learning courses on radiation protection of workers, recently launched by the IAEA: Occupational Radiation Protection based on General Safety Guide No. GSG-7and Management and Control of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM). The material focuses on how to further strengthen worker protection and occupational exposure control, and provides guidance on monitoring and recording methodologies.
“The courses contain practical examples drawn from occupational radiation protection related requirements of IAEA General Safety Requirements GSR Part 3 and are tailored to the needs of employers, licensees and registrants; management bodies and their specialist advisers and health and safety committees concerned with the radiation protection of workers,” said Burcin Okyar, IAEA Radiation Safety Specialist and the Technical Officer responsible for the development of courses.
The course on occupational radiation protection, based on GSG-7, aims to increase understanding of the occupational exposure control requirements contained in No. GSR Part 3 and how these safety standards fit within the IAEA Safety Standards hierarchy. The course on Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) is based on IAEA General Safety Guide (No. GSG-7) and supports participants in fulfilling the requirements of GSR Part 3 regarding worker protection in industrial processes and operations, said Okyar.
Developed under the IAEA Technical Cooperation Project Enhancing National Capabilities on Occupational Radiation Protection in Compliance with Requirements of the New International Basic Safety Standards, these courses promote a uniform approach to the control, monitoring and recording of occupational exposure and provide guidance on practical aspects of management, planning and conduct of occupational radiation protection.
“The courses are free for participants and designed to harmonize capabilities for occupational exposure monitoring, improve the implementation of a radiation protection programme and safety culture in activities and end-user facilities in participating Member States,” said Marina Binti Mishar, Section Head of the Technical Cooperation Division for Asia and the Pacific.
“The examples and visuals taken from various working environments combined with a high level of interactivity included in these courses maximise the learning experience,” added Okyar, highlighting that “to check and assess understanding, each course module includes a brief assessment at the end.”