Radiation Exposure (Hansard, 7 December 1990)

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which groups of service personnel are monitored for levels of radiation exposure.
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§ Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
Groups monitored for exposure to ionising radiation include: nuclear submarine operating, maintenance and training personnel; radiographers employed in hospitals, non-destructive testing units, clearance diving teams, explosives ordnance disposal units and in general medical, dental and nuclear medicine units; users of high-voltage equipment (which may emit X-rays) such as radar operators and security personnel; health physicists; personnel involved in handling and maintaining nuclear weapons; personnel employed in NBC training, and personnel employed as instrument calibration technicians and storekeepers.

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records relating to service personnel are held on the national register of radiation workers.

§ Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
The national register of radiation workers keep records of annual and cumulative lifetime doses on all service personnel who have been dosimeter wearers at any time since 1978 with the exception of those who have requested to opt out of the scheme.

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many inspections have been made by radiological protection advisers of nuclear-powered submarines in each year for the last 10 years.

§ Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
It is not the function of a radiation protection adviser (RPA) to carry out inspections, but rather, as required by the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985, regulation 10(1), to advise the employer.