This Safety Report has been developed as part of the IAEA programme on occupational radiation protection to provide for the application of its safety standards in implementing a graded approach to the protection of workers against exposures associated with uranium mining and processing. The publication describes the methods of production associated with the uranium industry and provides practical information on the radiological risks to workers in the exploration, mining and processing of uranium. It is a compilation of detailed information on uranium mining and processing stages and techniques, general radiation protection considerations in the relevant industry, general methodologies applicable for control, monitoring and dose assessment, exposure pathways, and radiation protection programmes for a range of commonly used mining and processing techniques.

• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • 1.1. Background
  • 1.2. Objective
  • 1.3. Scope
  • 1.4. Structure
• 2. OVERVIEW OF THE URANIUM INDUSTRY AND GENERAL RADIATION PROTECTION
  • 2.1. Global uranium production
  • 2.2. Overall occupational exposure
  • 2.3. Uranium mining and processing stages and techniques
    • 2.3.1. Exploration
    • 2.3.2. Underground mines
    • 2.3.3. Surface mines
    • 2.3.4. In situ leaching mines and processing
    • 2.3.5. Heap leaching
    • 2.3.6. Processing
    • 2.3.7. Non-conventional uranium extraction
    • 2.3.8. Tailings facilities
    • 2.3.9. Transport
    • 2.3.10. Decommissioning
• 3. GENERAL RADIATION PROTECTION CONSIDERATIONS IN URANIUM MINING AND PROCESSING
  • 3.1. International safety standards
  • 3.2. Scope of regulation
  • 3.3. Responsibilities
    • 3.3.1. The government
    • 3.3.2. The regulatory body
    • 3.3.3. Employers, registrants and licensees (management)
    • 3.3.4. Workers
  • 3.4. Graded approach to regulation
  • 3.5. Specific aspects of radionuclides in the uranium series
    • 3.5.1. Uranium series
    • 3.5.2. Actinium series
    • 3.5.3. Thorium series
• 4. GENERAL METHODOLOGY FOR CONTROL
  • 4.1. Occupational health and safety considerations
    • 4.1.1. Approach to health and safety: Implementation of a management system
    • 4.1.2. Risk management, hazard analysis and control
    • 4.1.3. Optimizing protection from radiation and other hazards
    • 4.1.4. Safety culture
    • 4.1.5. Emergency and non-conformance management
  • 4.2. Hierarchy of control
    • 4.2.1. Elimination
    • 4.2.2. Substitution
    • 4.2.3. Engineering
    • 4.2.4. Administration
    • 4.2.5. Behaviour
    • 4.2.6. Personal protective equipment
  • 4.3. Dose minimization
    • 4.3.1. Time
    • 4.3.2. Distance
    • 4.3.3. Shielding
  • 4.4. Exposure pathways
    • 4.4.1. External exposure to gamma radiation
    • 4.4.2. Inhalation of radon and radon progeny
    • 4.4.3. Inhalation of long lived radionuclide dust
    • 4.4.4. Contamination control
    • 4.4.5. Ingestion, wound contamination and absorption
• 5. MONITORING AND DOSE ASSESSMENT
  • 5.1. Objectives of a monitoring programme
  • 5.2. Responsibility for the monitoring programme
  • 5.3. Types of monitoring programme
    • 5.3.1. Demonstration of compliance with regulatory and corporate requirements
    • 5.3.2. Operational control
    • 5.3.3. Purpose of contamination monitoring
    • 5.3.4. Assessment of occupational exposures
  • 5.4. General dose considerations
    • 5.4.1. Limitation of radiation doses
    • 5.4.2. Dose assessment for routine monitoring
    • 5.4.3. Dose assessment for non-routine monitoring
    • 5.4.4. Pregnant and breastfeeding workers
• 6. RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAMMES
  • 6.1. Exploration
    • 6.1.1. Process description
    • 6.1.2. Design and operation
    • 6.1.3. Principal exposure pathways
    • 6.1.4. Control mechanisms
    • 6.1.5. Monitoring and dose assessment
  • 6.2. Underground mining
    • 6.2.1. Process description
    • 6.2.2. Design and operation
    • 6.2.3. Principal exposure pathways
    • 6.2.4. Control mechanisms
    • 6.2.5. Monitoring and dose assessment
  • 6.3. Surface mining
    • 6.3.1. Process description
    • 6.3.2. Design and operation
    • 6.3.3. Principal exposure pathways
    • 6.3.4. Control mechanisms
    • 6.3.5. Monitoring and dose assessment
  • 6.4. In situ leach mining and processing
    • 6.4.1. Process description
    • 6.4.2. Design and operation
    • 6.4.3. Principal exposure pathways
    • 6.4.4. Control mechanisms
    • 6.4.5. Monitoring and dose assessment
  • 6.5. Heap leaching
    • 6.5.1. Process description
    • 6.5.2. Design and operation
    • 6.5.3. Principal exposure pathways
    • 6.5.4. Control mechanisms
    • 6.5.5. Monitoring and dose assessment
  • 6.6. Processing facilities
    • 6.6.1. Process description
    • 6.6.2. Design and operation
    • 6.6.3. Principal exposure pathways
    • 6.6.4. Control mechanisms
    • 6.6.5. Monitoring and dose assessment
  • 6.7. Non-conventional uranium extraction
    • 6.7.1. Process description
    • 6.7.2. Design and operation
    • 6.7.3. Principal exposure pathways
    • 6.7.4. Control mechanisms
    • 6.7.5. Monitoring and dose assessment
  • 6.8. High grade ore mining and processing
    • 6.8.1. Process description
    • 6.8.2. Design and operation
    • 6.8.3. Principal exposure pathways
    • 6.8.4. Control mechanisms
    • 6.8.5. Monitoring and dose assessment
  • 6.9. Uranium tailings facilities
    • 6.9.1. Process description
    • 6.9.2. Design and operation
    • 6.9.3. Principal exposure pathways
    • 6.9.4. Control mechanisms
    • 6.9.5. Monitoring and dose assessment
  • 6.10. Material in transport
    • 6.10.1. Process description
    • 6.10.2. Design and operation
    • 6.10.3. Principal exposure pathways
    • 6.10.4. Control mechanisms
    • 6.10.5. Monitoring and dose assessment
  • 6.11. Decommissioning
    • 6.11.1. Process description
    • 6.11.2. Design and operation
    • 6.11.3. Principal exposure pathways
    • 6.11.4. Control mechanisms
    • 6.11.5. Monitoring and dose assessment
• Appendix I SURVEY OF THE INFORMATION SYSTEM ON URANIUM MINING EXPOSURE (UMEX)
• Appendix II EXTERNAL EXPOSURE TO GAMMA RADIATION
• Appendix III RADON AND RADON PROGENY
• Appendix IV INHALATION OF LONG LIVED RADIONUCLIDES IN AIRBORNE DUST
• Appendix V SURFACE CONTAMINATION
• Appendix VI INGESTION, WOUND CONTAMINATION AND ABSORPTION
• REFERENCES
• Annex IAEA QUESTIONNAIRE ON OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES IN URANIUM MINING AND PROCESSING
• ABBREVIATIONS
• CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW