The Hindu : Only two workers received radiation above limit: AERB

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 16, 2003

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Only two workers received radiation above limit: AERB

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI Nov. 15. Of the 14,000 persons working on the country's 14 nuclear power plants, only two workers received more than the prescribed level of radiation owing to avoidable reasons during the year ended April last, says the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board in its annual report.

While a trained industrial radiographer of the Madras Atomic Power Station received 151.3 mSv (a radiation measure), against the prescribed annual dose limit of 30 mSv, a contractor's worker engaged in in-service inspection at the Narora Atomic Power Station received 30.97 mSv against the limit of 15 mSv. The limit for contractors' hands, who are temporary workers, is lower. According to K.S. Parthasarathy, AERB secretary, the Indian radiation dose limit for nuclear power plant workers is much more stringent than the international limit which is 50 mSv.

A special investigation committee found that the MAPS radiographer's exposure was "due to human error, non-compliance with safety precautions and inadequate supervision''. This prompted the Safety Review Committee for Operating Plants (SARCOP) of the AERB to direct all power stations to hold refresher training on safe radiography procedures.

The NAPS management told the AERB that the temporary worker was working in a highly congested area and there were unexpected changes in radiation fields. Non-observance of the time limits — the maximum period a worker should be allowed to remain in risky area — non-use of protective equipment and lack of supervision were cited as other reasons.

The SARCOP instructed the stations that in case of violations and deficiencies, health physicists and station management should order stopping of work to rectify deficiencies and prevent violations.The two incidents reduced the level of compliance with prescribed limits for workers to "near-total.''

However, the AERB says that the radioactive releases from the nuclear power plants was well within the limits and the resultant dose to public was too small to be measured directly. Therefore, the dose to the public was estimated through an analysis of air, water, soil and food samples collected from around the power plant sites. Dr. Parthasarathy said the prescribed radiation limit for the public in India is one mSv, the same as the international limit.

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