Taking into account radiation protection for the EPR (European pressurized water reactor) design

For a designer, the taking into account of radiation protection for the EPR design is based on several thrusts which concern different scopes as choice of materials, checking of design's options, layout of components and systems able to contain radioactivity in different states of operation (i.e.: pressurizer, tanks, actives systems separated from non actives systems), or the optimization of shielding according to the estimated maintenance during outage or during power operation. The EPR method used for radiation protection studies is close to the safety method (use of dose gauge, demonstration of radiation protection, works with high stake regarding the radiation protection studied in priority, parametric studies with use of one field Radiation protection...). Results of this method place EPR in a satisfactory progress compared to the best existing nuclear plants, regarding collective doses and privileging the most exposed workers. This method has also induced on the EPR Project the choice of working during power operation in order to obtain shorts outages, scrupulously respecting security rules, radiation protection and human factor. (author)