The cost of occupational dose

The optimization of radiological protection will routinely involve the balancing of public and occupational exposure, particularly within the nuclear fuel cycle. For example the reduction of public exposure from an effluent stream could lead to increases in occupational exposure from treatment, storage and disposal operations. A methodology is propased for the estimation of the cost of occupational exposure in the UK (Pound man-Sv-1) based on valuations of changes in risk. A variable value for the cost of the occupational man-Sv is obtained depending on per caput dose levels. The values at particular per caput dose levels are different for occupational workers and the general public, because of different demography and assumptions on risk perception and aversion. They are however approximately the same when the per caput doses are expressed as percentages of the dose limits for workers and the general public respectively. An example of the application of the derived cost of the occupational man-Sv to an optimisation problem is given. (author)