In order to ensure the highest safety levels, licensees are required to thoroughly train their employees
Training workers in protection and safety should be a well-established part of the overall programme on radiation protection. The training should be tailored to the particular radiation application and the type of work carried out, and should be designed so that the worker develops the necessary skills to work safely.
The training programme should ensure that all workers receive adequate and up-to-date information on the health risks associated with their occupational exposure whether its routine exposure, potential exposure or exposure in an emergency, and on the significance of actions to be taken for protection and safety.
It should also include local rules, safety and warning systems, and emergency procedures. Each training topic should be covered to the appropriate depth for the specific radiation application and the potential hazards associated with it.
All training, time and extent of the given education should be documented for each worker, and recurrent training should be carried out at regular intervals to keep workers up-to-date.
Scope of Training
This training plan applies to all radiation workers as well as training service providers. The programmes under this training plan have been established in line with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards.
Training Duration
Training will vary from a few hours of radiation awareness training for those who work in the vicinity of a simple level gauge to one week or more of training for workers at an irradiation facility. Practical exercises should be included.
Periodic Training
Periodic training should take place to keep employees’ knowledge current, as per Article (20)3.h of FANR Regulation 24 on Basic Safety Standards for Facilities and Activities involving Ionizing Radiation other than in Nuclear Facilities, "The Licensee shall ensure for all workers engaged in Activities that involve or could involve Occupational Exposure, that suitable and adequate human resources and appropriate training in Protection and Safety are provided as well as periodic retraining and updating as required in order to ensure the necessary level of competence.”
Assessment procedures
Assessment of the competence of participants should take place at the end of training and sometimes during training. Tests, examinations and evaluations of practical work should be used to determine whether the learning objectives have been met and the necessary level of competence has been achieved. Examinations may be written, oral or demonstrational (where the worker shows that he or she can operate or use a piece of equipment or carry out a specific task) or a combination of the aforementioned. The assessment is intended to demonstrate that the individual is capable of meeting the performance objectives identified in the training.
References for Training
Worker Classification
At FANR we require training to take place across the following levels:
We also require training to take place for Workers Occupationally Exposed to radiation.
Training Modules
A range of training modules workers could undertake depending on roles and responsibilities: