Designing a radiation protection programme for research reactor facility (NIRR-1)

This project seeks to develop an Operational Radiation Protection Programme (ORPP) for a Research Reactor, the Nigerian Research Reactor-1 (NIRR-1) as a case study. The programme will help minimize the exposure of employees and the public to ionizing radiation and prevent the unauthorized release of radioactive substances into the environment. The two types of radiation effects, radiation protection and safety and radiation protection principles are discussed. A safety assessment was carried out through the review of the facility to identify possible radiation risks that may arise from normal operation of the facility and also assess the level and likelihood of radiation exposure of workers and the public and of the possible release of radioactive materials to the environment. The study shows that the radiation level from reactor specific areas and the dose rates of some selected personnel are far below the specified limits of 20 mSv for workers. However, there is still risk of long-term effect of cancer that may appear years or even decades later and the likelihood of occurrence is proportional to the radiation dose. An operational radiation protection programme (ORPP) is developed based on the IAEA requirements and guidance. (author)