DOE P 441.1, DOE Radiological Health and Safety Policy

DOE P 441.1 4-26-96 U.S. Department of Energy POLICY Washington, D.C. SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY 1. PURPOSE. To establish the Department of Energy's Radiological Health and Safety Policy as a basis for the Department's radiological control programs. 2. SCOPE. The provisions of this directive apply to all departmental elements involved in radiological operations, except the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, which is separately covered under Executive Order 12344, Public Law 98-525 (42 U.S. Code 7158, Note). 3. POLICY. It is the policy of the Department of Energy to conduct its radiological operations in a manner that ensures the health and safety of all its employees, contractors, and the general public. In achieving this objective, the Department shall ensure that radiation exposures to its workers and the public and releases of radioactivity to the environment are maintained below regulatory limits and deliberate efforts are taken to further reduce exposures and releases as low as reasonably achievable. The Department is fully committed to implementing a radiological control program of the highest quality that consistently reflects this policy. In meeting this policy, the Department shall: A. Establish and maintain a system of regulatory policy and guidance reflective of national and international radiation protection standards and recommendations. The Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health has responsibility for promulgating and maintaining policies, standards, and guidance related to radiological protection. Departmental radiological protection requirements are, at a minimum, consistent with the presidentially approved "Radiation Protection Guidance to the Federal Agencies for Occupational Exposure," which was developed by the Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with its mandated Federal guidance responsibilities. Departmental requirements often are more stringent and reflect, as appropriate, recommendations and guidance from various national and international standards- setting and scientific organizations, including the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, the American National Standards Institute, and others. Departmental requirements related to radiological protection will be set forth, as appropriate, in rules and Department of Energy orders, and guidance documents will be issued on acceptable means to implement these requirements. DISTRIBUTION: INITIATED BY: All Departmental Elements Office of the Secretary 2 DOE P 441.1 4-26-96 B. Ensure personnel responsible for performing radiological work activities are appropriately trained. Standards shall be established to ensure the technical competency of the Department's workforce, as appropriate, through implementation of radiological training and professional development programs. C. Ensure the technical competence of personnel responsible for implementing and overseeing the radiological control program. An appropriate level of technical competence gained through education, experience, and job-related technical and professional training is a critical component for achieving the goals of the Department's radiological control policy. Qualification requirements commensurate with this objective shall be established for technical and professional radiological control program positions and shall, at a minimum, be consistent with applicable industry standards and promote professional development and excellence in radiological performance as goals.

D. Establish and maintain, at all levels, line management involvement and accountability for departmental radiological performance. The responsibility for compliance with departmental radiological protection requirements, and for minimizing personnel radiation exposure, starts at the worker level and broadens as it progresses upward through the line organization. The Department's line managers are fully responsible for radiological performance within their programs and the field activities and sites assigned to them, and shall take necessary actions to ensure requirements are implemented and performance is monitored and corrected as necessary. E. Ensure radiological measurements, analyses, worker monitoring results and estimates of public exposures are accurate and appropriately made. The capability to accurately measure and analyze radioactive materials and workplace conditions, and determine personnel radiation exposure, is fundamental to the safe conduct of radiological operations. Policy, guidance, and quality control programs shall be directed toward ensuring such measurements are appropriate, accurate, and based upon sound technical practices. F. Conduct radiological operations in a manner that controls the spread of radioactive materials and reduces exposure to the workforce and the general public and that utilizes a process that seeks exposure levels as low as reasonably achievable. Radiological operations and activities shall be preplanned to allow for the effective implementation of dose and contamination reduction and control measures. Operations and activities shall be performed in accordance with departmental conduct of operations requirements and shall include reasonable controls directed toward reducing exposure, preventing the spread of radiological contamination, and minimizing the generation of contaminated wastes and the release of effluents. DOE P 441.1 3 (and 4) 4-26-96 G. Incorporate dose reduction, contamination reduction, and waste minimization features into the design of new facilities and significant modifications to existing facilities in the earliest planning stages. Wherever possible, facility design features shall be directed toward controlling contamination at the source, eliminating airborne radioactivity, maintaining personnel exposure and effluent releases below regulatory limits, and utilizing a process that seeks exposure levels and releases as low as reasonably achievable. Radiological design criteria shall reflect appropriate consensus recommendations of national and international standards setting groups. H. Conduct oversight to ensure departmental requirements are being complied with and appropriate radiological work practices are being implemented. All departmental elements shall conduct their radiological operations in a manner consistent with the above policies and objectives. HAZEL R. O'LEARY Secretary of Energy