Changes in the annual dose limits and their potential impact on the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) transport regulations

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has already recommended a change in the annual dose limit for members of the public, not yet incorporated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) in the Basic Safety Standards for Radiation Protection. In addition, information from different sources could imply a reduction of the annual dose limits for occupational exposures in the near future. After a brief description of how the annual dose limits were employed in the IAEA Transport Regulations, both for the limitation or control of actual exposures and for taking safety decisions in relation with potential exposures (e.g., for requiring a Type B instead of a Type A package), this paper analyzes how changes in the annual dose limits could affect some parts of the IAEA Transport Regulations and discuss potential areas of conflict between design and operational aspects of the transport of radioactive materials as well as some difficulties associated with changes on requirements dealing with protection and safety. Finally, the areas of interest for the new revision of the IAEA Transport Regulations are described in this context