Views of the radiation protection professionals

The 'as low as reasonably achievable' (ALARA) principle is the cornerstone of modern radiation protection. Beyond the limitation principle, which ensures basic protection of individuals, ALARA is a pragmatic process of applying, in a responsible way, the precautionary principle which logically ensues from the no threshold assumption for low doses. What is the present situation as far as the practical implementation of ALARA is concerned? It is everywhere recognized that the important improvement in the protection of workers that can be observed over the last twenty years has largely resulted from the generalization of the ALARA culture in most organizations. Whether the implemented ALARA processes were highly formalized or more reliant on common sense is a secondary aspect. The key lesson of the last decade is that it is less difficult to start with an ALARA approach in an organization than it is to maintain its effectiveness over a long period of time. How to ensure a continuous improvement in protection, taking into account the prevailing circumstances? This is where the present challenge lies and this is also where the so-called 'stakeholder involvement' approach can play a key role