ALARA Organization in Electricite de France's nuclear power plants: Experiences and projects. Keynote address

In order to bring Electricite de France's (EDF's) Nuclear Power Plant Operations Division up among the ranks of the best operators in the world, in terms of collective and individual radiation exposure, the 'as low as reasonably achievable' (ALARA) project co-ordinates certain actions, motivated and guided by the following objectives: (1) involve contractors in the overall approach, (2) define a language, methods and tools common to all French nuclear power plants, (3) optimize the maintenance worksites resulting in the highest doses, (4) make the management line accountable in the radiation exposure stakes, (5) reduce specific sources of exposure, and (6) improve the organization and the use of experience feedback in this area. The results to date are very encouraging and support the objectives decided on by EDF's Corporate Nuclear Power Plant Operations Division for the year 2000, i.e. that radiation exposure be reduced to less than 1.2 man·Sv per year per reactor, and that no worker should incur an individual annual dose in excess of 20 mSv. (author)