HC Deb 26 April 1990 vol 171 cc330-2W
Mr. Gordon Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what cash is set aside within his Department for(a) research into radiation and (b) health and safety work related to radiation; and what is the proportion of this expenditure to the total budget.

Mr. Neubert

Separate information is not maintained on the cost of health and safety work related to radiation or on the cost of research into radiation.

Mr. Gordon Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the maximum total radiation dose recorded for any Rosyth dockyard workers registered in the defence radiological protection services record-keeping system; and over what period it was accrued; and what are the 20 highest doses recorded.

Mr. Neubert

The maximum lifetime total radiation dose for a worker currently registered in the DRPS's record-keeping system is 595.89 mSv. This total dose accrued over the period 14 December 1964 to 31 December 1989.

The 20 highest radiation doses recorded for workers so registered are as follows:

Highest Radiation Doses—Rosyth Dockyard Cumulative Dose (mSv)

  • 595.89
  • 479.20
  • 478.22
  • 452.68
  • 439.11
  • 403.83
  • 401.59
  • 393.76
  • 374.00
  • 369.33
  • 368.40
  • 359.03
  • 354.67
  • 342.72
  • 328.71
  • 314.39
  • 311.17
  • 300.47
  • 300.24
  • 299.36

Mr. Gordon Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedure exists for individual workers after exceeding recommended radiation dosages in any one year.

Mr. Neubert

In the event of an overexposure of a dockyard worker to ionising radiation, action would be taken in accordance with regulations 29 and 30 of the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985.

Mr. Gordon Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the distribution of total radiation exposure for Rosyth dockyard workers in the ranges(a) 0 to 5 mSv, (b) 5 to 10, (c) 10 to 15, (d) 15 to 20, (e) 20 to 25, (f) 25 to 30, (g) 30 to 35, (h) 35 to 40, (i) 40 to 45, (j) 45 to 50, (k) greater than 50, (l) greater than 100, (m) greater than 200, (n) greater than 300, (o) greater than 400, (p) greater than 500, (q) greater than 600, (r) greater than 700 and (s) greater than 750, in numbers and in terms of percentage of the overall work force.

Mr. Neubert

A breakdown of cumulative radiation exposure for workers currently registered in DRPS's record-keeping system as employed at Rosyth dockyards is as follows:

Cumulative radiation exposures
Rosyth dockyard
Dose range (mSv) Number of persons Percentage of workforce
0 to 5 63 1.25
5 to 10 46 0.91
10 to 15 48 0.95
15 to 20 31 0.61
20 to 25 27 0.53
25 to 30 20 0.40
30 to 35 13 0.26

Dose range (mSv) Number of persons Percentage of workforce
35 to 40 14 0.27
40 to 45 13 0.26
45 to 50 16 0.32
Greater than 50 (50 to 100) 101 1.99
Greater than 100 (100 to 200) 93 1.84
Greater than 200 (200 to 300) 42 0.83
Greater than 300 (300 to 400) 12 0.23
Greater than 400 (400 to 500) 6 0.12
Greater than 500 (500 to 600) 1 0.02
Greater than 600 (600 to 700) 0 0.00
Greater than 700 (700 to 750) 0 0.00
Greater than 750 0 0.00

Mr. Gordon Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Ministry of Defence records for Rosyth dockyard are complete in itemising exposure levels for every worker for as long as he or she has worked in the dockyard.

Mr. Neubert

The records in question comply with the requirements of the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985.

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