Import of ICRP 60 for general mining

Because of the ubiquity of natural, the International Commission on Radiological Protection limits the definition of occupational exposure to circumstances that can reasonably be regarded as the responsibility of management. Radon in workplaces in given as the prime example in ICRP Publication 60, the new recommendations of the Commission. But not all workplaces are to be included, and the Commission advises that agencies should identify the particular circumstances in which protection is required. It offers some guidance: spas, uranium mines, other underground mines and caves are mentioned. Few would dispute the suggestion that underground exposure to radon in general non-uranium mining may be appreciable and that the system of protection needs to be applied in the industry. Conditions in underground mining are examined in this paper. (author)