This Safety Guide provides recommendations on radiation protection and radioactive waste management in the design and operation of research reactors, to meet the relevant requirements of IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SSR-3, Safety of Research Reactors. It identifies important components that should be considered at the design stage with regard to facilitating radiation protection and radioactive waste management. It also recommends good practices in implementing operational radiation protection and radioactive waste management programmes, and in their optimization. This Safety Guide is a revision of IAEA Safety Standards Series No. NS-G-4.6, which it supersedes.

• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • Background
  • Objective
  • Scope
  • Structure
• 2. REQUIREMENTS, OBJECTIVES AND CONCEPTS FOR RADIATION PROTECTION AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Fundamental safety objective
  • Dose limits, dose constraints and authorized limits on discharges for a research reactor
  • Application of the principle of optimization
  • Design target doses for operational states for a research reactor
  • Design target doses for accident conditions for a research reactor
• 3. RESEARCH REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED RADIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
  • Radiological hazards associated with different reactor types and utilization
    • Power level of the research reactor and radionuclide inventory
    • Type of research reactor
    • Transient (power excursion) characteristics of the research reactor
    • Irradiation facilities and experimental devices
  • Radiation sources at a research reactor
• 4. RADIATION PROTECTION AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE DESIGN OF A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Approach to design for radiation protection and radioactive waste management
    • Human resources
    • Safety culture
    • Organizational aspects
  • Design strategy for radiation protection at a research reactor
    • Design for radiation protection of site personnel
    • Design for radiation protection of members of the public
    • Design strategy for radiation protection in the commissioning of a research reactor
  • Design features for radioactive waste management at a research reactor
    • Management of gaseous effluents at a research reactor
    • Management of liquid effluents at a research reactor
    • Management of solid radioactive waste at a research reactor
  • Lifetime management and decommissioning of a research reactor
  • Design approaches for dealing with accident conditions at a research reactor
  • Design of structures, systems and components for radiation protection and radioactive waste management at a research reactor
  • Design features to facilitate decontamination at a research reactor
  • Design of shielding at a research reactor
  • Design of ventilation systems at a research reactor
• 5. RADIATION PROTECTION IN THE OPERATION OF A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Dose limits
  • Optimization principle and dose constraints
  • Administrative control levels
  • On-site radiation protection and dose control at a research reactor
    • Radiation protection through source control
    • Radiation protection through physical controls and the use of time and distance
    • Radiation protection through administrative controls
  • Optimization of protection of the public
    • Limitation of discharges
    • Record keeping for releases and waste
• 6. RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE OPERATION OF A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Management of the generation of radioactive waste at a research reactor
    • Gaseous radioactive waste
    • Liquid radioactive waste
    • Solid radioactive waste
  • Optimization of protection in the management of radioactive waste
  • Packaging and confinement of radioactive waste at a research reactor
  • Storage of radioactive waste at a research reactor
  • Documentation relating to the management of radioactive waste at a research reactor
  • Classification, characterization and segregation of radioactive waste at a research reactor
  • Processing of radioactive waste at a research reactor
    • Gaseous radioactive waste
    • Liquid radioactive waste
    • Solid radioactive waste
  • Transport of radioactive waste
  • Control of radioactive discharges and compliance monitoring at a research reactor
• 7. RADIATION MONITORING PROGRAMME AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Types of monitoring survey at a research reactor
    • Routine surveys
    • Task related surveys
    • Special surveys
  • Workplace monitoring at a research reactor
    • Area monitoring
    • Dose rate monitoring
    • Contamination monitoring
  • Individual monitoring at a research reactor
    • Individual monitoring for external exposure
    • Individual monitoring for internal exposure
  • Effluent monitoring at a research reactor
    • Source monitoring
    • Monitoring of gaseous discharges
    • Monitoring of liquid discharges
  • Environmental monitoring at a research reactor
• 8. INSTRUMENTATION FOR THE RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAMME AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Radiation monitoring instruments for use at a research reactor
    • Number of instruments
    • Technical specifications
    • Human factors
  • Maintenance and calibration of instruments at a research reactor
• 9. ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECTS OF RADIATION PROTECTION AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Application of the management system to radiation protection and radioactive waste management at a research reactor
  • Organizational structure for radiation protection and radioactive waste management at a research reactor
  • Responsibilities relating to radiation protection and radioactive waste management at a research reactor
    • Regulatory body
    • Operating organization
    • Reactor manager
    • Reactor safety committee
    • Radiation protection personnel
  • Qualification, training and retraining of personnel for radiation protection and radioactive waste management at a research reactor
    • Qualification of personnel in radiation protection and radioactive waste management
    • Training of personnel in radiation protection and radioactive waste management
    • Retraining of personnel in radiation protection and radioactive waste management
  • Documentation for radiation protection and radioactive waste management at a research reactor
    • Records of individual monitoring
    • Records of health surveillance
    • Records of workplace monitoring
• 10. RADIATION PROTECTION DURING AN EMERGENCY AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Introduction
  • Radiological assessment
    • Radiation and contamination surveys
    • Individual monitoring
  • On-site protective actions for a nuclear or radiological emergency at a research reactor
  • Corrective actions for a nuclear or radiological emergency at a research reactor
• REFERENCES
• Annex I EXAMPLES OF SOURCES OF RADIATION IN A RESEARCH REACTOR
• Annex II PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
• Annex III DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR COLLECTION OR HOLDING (DELAY) TANKS FOR LIQUID RADIOACTIVE WASTE AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
• CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW