CHANGING THE OCCUPATIONAL DOSE LIMIT FOR PREGNANT WORKERS: PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND CONSENSUS SEEKING

摘要

In July 1991 the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB), the nuclear regulatory authority in Canada, published a consultative document (C-122) containing proposals to change the current Canadian radiation dose limits to those recommended in ICRP-60 [1]. We received a number of written responses, many of which expressed concern about the proposed reduction of the limit for pregnant workers from the current Canadian limit of 10 mSv to essentially 1 mSv during the pregnancy. The reason for the concern was that it would be difficult to achieve such a reduction in dose and even more difficult to prove compliance even if the reduction were achieved, particularly in the case of internal doses. Most of the responses came from female staff in nuclear medicine departments. There was concern that employers would deal with this problem by removing workers from radiation work if they became pregnant. In large departments this could be done by reassignment, but in smaller institutions it could mean layoff, in order to have the resources to hire a replacement. There was a strong feeling that this process could eventually lead to a reluctance to hire women for nuclear medicine and other radiation work.