1. The Australian National Radiation
Dose Register for Uranium Workers
Robert Guilfoyle
robert.guilfoyle@arpansa.gov.au
Rick Tinker
Paul Martin

2. • Dose pathways for uranium workers
• International and National dose trends
• International best practice on dose record keeping
• Australian National Radiation Dose Register
– Background
– Scope
– Objectives
– Types of data collected and how it is used
– The dose history report
• Current operational status of the ANRDR
• The future of the ANRDR 2
Today

3. • External Gamma Radiation
– from uranium ore
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Dose Pathways for uranium workers
Source: Radiation Workers’ Handbook (Draft Edition)
• Internal Exposure to the lungs
– via inhalation of Rn‐222 gas and
Rn‐222 progeny
• Internal Exposure to the lungs and
organs
– via inhalation or ingestion of
airborne radioactive dust particles

4. 4
Uranium Miner Doses
Source: UNSCEAR 2000 Report Annex E: Occupational Radiation Exposures
UNSCEAR data for 1995‐2002 is in print and to be used as indication only.

5. • Long history of uranium mining in Australia
• Radioactive ores first mined in Radium Hill, SA –
1906
• Three currently operating uranium producing mines
in Australia
– Ranger
– Olympic Dam
– Beverley
• More in development
– Honeymoon
– Four Mile
– Yeelirrie
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Uranium mining in Australia

6. 6
National dose trend
Ranger Uranium mine
Source: ERA Annual Report 2009
Australia follows the
worldwide trend of
decreasing worker doses
due to improved
occupational heath and
safety practices and
radiation health
awareness.

7. Exposure records for each worker shall be preserved during the worker's
working life and afterwards at least until the worker attains or would have
attained the age of 75 years, and for not less than 30 years after the
termination of the work involving occupational exposure.
‐ IAEA, 1996, International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and
for the Safety of Radiation Sources, Safety Series 115, Appendix 1, Section 1.49.
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International Best Practice
Records of doses assessed to have been received by an employee,
including details of monitoring results and dose calculation methods, as
required by the appropriate authority, shall be kept during the working life of
the employee and afterwards for not less than 30 years after the last dose
assessment and at least until the employee reaches, or would have reached,
the age of 75 years.
‐ ARPANSA, 2002, Recommendations for Limiting Exposure to Ionizing Radiation and National
Standard for Limiting Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation, republished March 2002 as
Radiation Protection Series 1.

8. • How do we ensure compliance with national
and international best practice?
• How do we ensure records are maintained
and remain retrievable in the long term?
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Adhering to international best practice standards
Australian National Radiation Dose Register is
designed to address these requirements for
the uranium mining and milling industry in
Australia.

9. 9
Background
MOU between RET
and ARPANSA for
ARPANSA to
develop,
construct and
implement a Register
of uranium industry
worker doses

10. • To record and track the lifetime radiation dose of workers
throughout their career in the uranium mining and milling
industry in Australia
• To provide assurance that dose records will be checked and
maintained, and remain retrievable, including when
companies cease to operate
• To allow the production of annual statistics showing industry
sector trends and comparisons with international dose trends
• To answer requests from workers for the provision of
individual dose histories
• To notify regulators when an individual has exceeded their
annual dose limit
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Objectives

11. • ARPANSA chaired steering committee with
members from:
• The Australian uranium industry
• Worker unions
• Representatives from State and Territory regulators
• Representatives from the Department of Resources,
Energy and Tourism (RET)
• ARPANSA
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Stakeholder consultation

12. 12
Dose Data to be collected

13. Worker personal information collected:
• the registered person’s name
• date of birth
• gender
• employee number
• place of employment
• employee work classification
• the period of time employed at a particular location
• radiation dose
This personal information is only collected to distinguish one individual
from another and will not be used for any other purpose.
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Personal data to be collected

14. • Limited amount of security cleared staff
allowed access to data
• ARPANSA Information Technology Security
Policies
• Privacy Act 1988
• Internal policies and procedures
• Only individual workers can request their
radiation dose history
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How private information is being handled

15. 15
The ANRDR Portal
Australian National
Radiation Dose
Register
Data Providers
(Operators)
Operator Details
Worksite Details
Dose Information
Operators,
Regulators
Excessive Doses
Statistical Reports
Individual
Workers
Dose History
On Request
Operators,
Regulators,
UNSCEAR
Annual Reports
NATA
Accreditation
Accreditation of procedures
and processes
(Long‐term goal)
Auditors
Audit Logs and Reports

16. 16
The ANRDR Portal

17. 17
Dose History Report
• Quarterly
Radiation Dose
•Annual Total Dose
•Rolling Five Year
Average Annual
Dose

18. • ANRDR ready to accept worker’s radiation doses
from July 1, 2010
• ANRDR will soon be ready to accept and process
requests from workers for their radiation dose
history
• Currently holds data from South Australian
uranium mining operators, represents approx.
85% of current workers
• Information will be available on the ARPANSA
webpage for operators and workers
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Operational Status of the ANRDR

19. • Distinguishing workers
– Links to be created between suspected workers and checked
– Information collected on worker includes: name, birth date,
gender, and employee number
• Dose reporting frequency
– Quarterly dose reporting, allowing for all quarters to be reported
annually
• Currently no legislative requirements for mines
to provide doses to the register
– A different approach is required for each State and Territory. In
SA, data submission from a mine operator to the ANRDR is now a
licence condition. Still unresolved in NT, but progressing.
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Issues That Have Arisen

20. • Worker awareness program
• Site visits
• Fact sheets
• Newsletters
• Look forward to working with industry and
unions to strengthen awareness
• Expansion to other states and territories
• Expansion of ANRDR to include ARPANSA staff
dose records
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The future...

21. I will be available at Morning Tea for
demonstration of the web portal operation and
for further questions
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22. Thank you for your attention
Questions?
robert.guilfoyle@arpansa.gov.au
http://www.arpansa.gov.au
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