United Kingdom radiation protection legislation and its ability to respond to change

The paper describes the way by which United Kingdom general safety legislation has been developed and its essential content. The organization and structure of the United Kingdom Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Health and Safety Executive in their policy formulation and enforcement roles are looked at and attention is focused on the specific needs of radiation protection legislation. Attention is drawn to the requirement for law makers to consult those affected and in devising legislation to take account of competition for resources both within the enforcing agency and in industry. The 1985 Ionising Radiations Regulations are outlined and the antecedents in the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and other international recommendations noted. The HSC's Working Group on Ionising Radiations with its dual role of looking backward at existing legislation and forward at future developments is discussed. The paper concludes with a speculation on those aspects of the recent ICRP recommendations which will necessitate change and notes recent epidemiological studies and their possible impact on regulatory requirements. (author). 6 refs