Safety

Radiation occurs in our food, water, air and bodies. The sun is also a major source of radiation. Many buildings also emit radiation, simply because the materials that were used to build them (clay bricks, granite, etc) are naturally radioactive. Skiing at high altitudes and flying in commercial aeroplanes will also result in increased exposure to radiation. We actually receive about 1.5 - 2.0 'millisieverts' of radiation every year. This kind of radiation is known as 'background radiation' and is natural. We have always lived with this minimum level of radiation.

Low exposure to ionising radiation is not harmful, but in the nuclear fuel cycle the people who are most at risk of radiation exposure are miners, airline flight crew, and people working at nuclear reactors. Care is taken to make sure that radiation exposure in mines is as low as possible. Australian miners are well below the allowable limit of 20 millisieverts per year. In fact, the maximum exposure for humans in a year, before the risk of radiation sickness or later cancers, is generally accepted to be 50 - 100 millisieverts. The dose limit is recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection and Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council. Dose limits are monitored by State health authorities and also the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Authority.

Also well below this limit, but at much the same risk as miners, are airline flight crew. They also receive more than the average yearly dose of radiation through exposure to cosmic rays during flights. The uranium mining industry is well controlled and monitored by appropriate organisations that ensure safety procedures are carried out. Government bodies make regular inspections of uranium mining sites. These sites are subject to Federal and State Government regulations, covering many aspects of their operations, including employee and public health and safety, environmental management and Aboriginal heritage protection.

There are also procedures for the safe disposal of radioactive waste.

Also see Department of Industry Science and Resources Radioactive Waste Management in Australia for more information.

Greater technical detail can be found on this topic by searching through the listed briefing papers and education resources at www.uic.com.au.

Chernobyl

The Chernobyl-4 reactor accident in 1986 is a tragic example of what can happen if safety standards are not maintained. The reactor did not meet international safety standards and a power surge, during a test to determine how long the turbines would spin after a power loss, caused steam to lift the cover plate off the reactor, and an intense fire spread fission products into the atmosphere. This accident was caused by human error and a poorly designed and engineered reactor. The accident caused the deaths of 30 power plant employees and firemen, while another 134 emergency personnel experienced acute radiation sickness. Ongoing research and study continues in order to determine the full extent of the impact on the surrounding population and environment.

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Three Mile Island

This 1979 accident caused major changes in nuclear safety management practices. No one was harmed (and there was no noted health impact on the surrounding community). The accident occurred when a minor reactor malfunction caused the temperature in the primary coolant to rise, automatically shutting down the reactor. Unfortunately, one of the relief valves failed to close and most of the primary coolant drained away, leaving the reactor core at a very high temperature. The fuel rods were damaged and radioactive material was released into the cooling water. No explosion resulted from this. The problem was contained in the reactor building, as designed. However, it did cause a lot of public concern and loss of confidence in the nuclear power industry.

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• Safety
• Risks
• Protection