Appendix CRF - Part 3 - Northamptonshire County Council

4.4.2 Radiation Protection Supervisors (RPSs)
11
VERSION 3, 14 July 2009
Regulation 17 requires that Augean appoint one or more employees as RPS. The main role
of the RPS is to ensure that the Local Rules are being observed, and whoever is appointed
should be suitable for the role. In practice, this means that they are appropriately trained and
are able to properly supervise the work being undertaken. There should be an RPS present
on the ENRMF site whenever LLW is being processed.
It should be noted that the RPSs are not a substitute for line-management responsibilities.
Augean must ensure that line managers involved in the LLW operation project are familiar
with the contents of this risk assessment and the local rules, and their responsibilities for
health and safety.
4.5 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
The internal dose to Augean employees from inhalation of dust during normal operations is
expected to be negligible. As indicated in Section 3.2, the inhalation dose from dealing with a
waste spill is likely to be below 1 mSv. Although this is well below the 20 mSv/y dose limit, it
is recommended that respiratory protective equipment be worn in the interests of keeping
exposures ALARP, and to ensure compliance with the dose constraint and dose investigation
level.
The RPE should be readily available in the event of a spill occurring, and must be put on
before attempting to clean up any spilt LLW material.
RPE with a minimum protection factor of 5 is recommended: this, combined with the dust
suppression measures described in Section 4.1.3, should ensure that inhalation doses are
below 0.1 mSv. In addition:
- RPE must be CE marked;
- the comfort of the wearer should be taken into account when choosing a particular type
of respirator;
- RPE should be fit-tested to ensure a good seal to individual faces;
- If the RPE is reusable, it should be thoroughly examined at suitable intervals and
properly maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, and as required
by Regulation 10(2). Suitable records of examinations and maintenance should be
made and kept for at least 2 years; and (very importantly)
- training in the proper use and maintenance of RPE must be provided.
In addition to RPE, protective clothing should also be worn by Augean employees when
working in the area, as follows:
- coveralls must be worn, the type being selected according to the nature of the work.
- protective gloves must be worn, the type being selected according to the nature of the
work. Gloves should be impermeable and be sufficiently strong to withstand wear and
tear and provide protection against cuts/wounds;
- footwear – normal safety footwear is considered sufficient; and
- suitable washing and changing facilities should be provided for use by workers before
lunch breaks, ends of shift, etc.. This should include facilities for separate storage of
WS010001/ENRMF/CONSAPPCRF 652