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| ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2010 | Volume
: 33
| Issue : 4 | Page : 167-170 |
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Networked national occupational dose registry system
SS Sanaye, RH Meena, Sujatha Baburajan, SG Pawar, BK Sapra, YS Mayya
Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| Date of Web Publication | 1-Dec-2011 |
Correspondence Address:
S S Sanaye
Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
Monitoring of radiation workers and maintaining their dose data is an important part of radiological protection program. As per RPR-71 (and presently RPR-2004), it is a regulatory requirement. National Occupational Dose Registry System (NODRS) at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (B.A.R.C.) is maintaining and updating annual and lifetime dose data of all monitored radiation workers since the inception of Directorate of Radiation Protection in late sixties. The registry has a database of over 4,00,000 radiation workers. Over the years, the registry underwent several structural, software and hardware changes. Recently, it has been upgraded to network all monitoring labs located at NPP sites and other DAE units with the main database server at BARC through NPCNET and ANUNET. The new system provides online information on dose data, previous dose history of radiation worker which is an important requirement for monitoring units. Capability of NODRS to store biometric information of radiation workers enhances the effectiveness of the system. This paper gives the outline of NODRS along with some analysis of the data accumulated over the years. Keywords: Occupational dose registry, RPR-2004, NODRS, dose analysis
How to cite this article:
Sanaye S S, Meena R H, Baburajan S, Pawar S G, Sapra B K, Mayya Y S. Networked national occupational dose registry system. Radiat Prot Environ 2010;33:167-70 |
How to cite this URL:
Sanaye S S, Meena R H, Baburajan S, Pawar S G, Sapra B K, Mayya Y S. Networked national occupational dose registry system. Radiat Prot Environ [serial online] 2010 [cited 2023 Jun 2];33:167-70. Available from: https://www.rpe.org.in/text.asp?2010/33/4/167/90449 |
| 1. Introduction | |  |
Occupational dose received by a radiation worker during the lifetime is an important aspect in radiation protection. Maintaining of life-time dose data of the radiation workers is also necessary to (i) ensure and review radiation safety of workers, (ii) certification and other legal purposes, (iii) epidemiological studies.
The programme of monitoring radiation workers for the occupational doses was initiated in the country in 1953. Subsequently, requirement of monitoring was incorporated in the Radiation Protection Rules-1971 under the Atomic Energy Act (1962). As per IAEA Basic Safety Standards and Radiation Protection Rule 2004 (Earlier RPR-1971), lifetime dose records of radiation workers need to be maintained for 30 years after the termination of radiation work or till the time the worker has attained or would have attained the age of 75 years, whichever is later. Initially, radiation workers engaged in nuclear fuel cycle operations were monitored. But later on, those engaged in radioisotope applications in industry, research and medical were also brought under personnel monitoring services. National Occupational Dose Registry was established to maintain suitable database for all these radiation workers.
Occupational dose data of radiation workers, who have availed the personnel monitoring service has been maintained, as a centralized dose records in National Occupational Dose Registry, in the erstwhile Directorate of Radiation protection and now in Radiological Physics and Advisory Division since the inception of the Personnel Monitoring Service around 1953 (Film Badge services till 1976, and then switch-over to TLD gradually in DAE by 1986 and in non-DAE since 1998). The dose records were computerized since 1975 onwards, at the centralized facility at BARC. The systems were upgraded from time to time. Need for maintenance of dose records as National Occupational Dose Registry, is a regulatory requirements, and the need for each record to have personnel information about the radiation worker was felt around 1990, and requirement of personnel data information was made a pre-requisite for allotment of personnel number to new persons for TLD Badge service since 1992.
| 2. System Description | | |
National Occupational Dose Registry maintains and updates annual and lifetime dose data of all occupational radiation workers in the country, who have availed the personnel monitoring service. The Registry was upgraded under which all monitoring (HPU & TLD) units at NPP sites as well as other DAE sites were networked through ANUNET and NPCNET. The system installation and application software development was carried out by ECIL. The pre-commissioning operation started in December-2007.
The block diagram of the upgraded `National Occupational Dose Registry Network System (NODRS)' is shown in [Figure 1]. It has main database and application servers at Mod. Labs. These servers are connected to local servers at all monitoring labs (TLD units and HP units) at NPP sites (TAPS, RAPS, MAPS, NAPS, KAPS, KGS and KKNPP) as well as other DAE units (NFC, VECC, IGCAR, UCIL, RRCAT and CT & CRS) through NPCNET/ANUNET. In addition to dose data and personal information, this new system has provision to store biometric information (photograph and finger print) of radiation workers. This help in tracking the identity of radiation workers working in different units of DAE. With the new NODRS system, it is possible to have centralised allotment of personnel number for radiation workers, working at DAE installations, after incorporating personal data, photograph and finger prints for new regular radiation workers and contract workers. The new system also provides online information on updated dose data and previous dose history which is important information for local monitoring labs to decide whether to allow the worker to further work with radiation.  | Figure 1: Block diagram of National Occupational Dose Registry Network System
Click here to view |
| 3. Operational Procedure | | |
3.1 Allotment of personal number
At DAE units, the allotment of personal number to new radiation worker is subject to thorough checks of any previous history of radiation work. The new personal number is allotted after incorporating his personal details, given in personal data form and photo and finger print. Personnel Monitoring service to Non-DAE institutions is provided by three private labs (M/s Renentec labs, Mumbai, M/s Avanttec Labs, Chennai and M/s UltraTech Labs, Bhillai) accredited by BARC. For registration of new radiation workers of non-DAE institutions, personal data forms received by accredited labs are forwarded to RPAD. After incorporating personal data of these radiation workers, new numbers are allotted and informed to respective accredited lab. Applications received from industrial radiation workers need to be approved by AERB before allotment of the new personal numbers. The respective monitoring labs then issues a TLD badge to the radiation worker.
3.2 Dose data updation
TLD Personnel Monitoring labs at DAE units upload the dose data of their radiation workers for each monitoring period through the NODRS network. The dose data in 39-digit format is processed at local centre itself by NODRS system and error free dose data file is uploaded to main centre. At main centre these files are then updated in the master files of the database. Neutron and internal dose data are presently provided by the respective monitoring labs and then updated in the NODRS database by the main centre. Provision has now been made so that these data can also be uploaded through NODRS network by the local centres. The Dose Registry also maintains deputation dose i.e. the dose received by the employees who go abroad on assignment. This dose data is received by Dose Registry from the respective foreign institutes. For over-exposure cases of DAE, Non-DAE and BARC institutions, the respective investigating committees convey the decision (non-genuine, genuine and assigned dose) to the Dose Registry for necessary updations in the dose records.
3.3 Dose reports and analysis
The Dose Registry provides various types of online information to the authorized user at different local centers. It gives information on annual as well as lifetime dose received by the radiation worker. If the radiation worker has worked in more than one institution, then it gives institution wise dose received by that person. This is an important information required by the monitoring lab in deciding whether to allow the person to do further radiation work. It also provides various types of dose analyses to the user monitoring labs.
Even though periodic dose reports are sent by individual monitoring labs, annual-cum-five year block reports are prepared and sent by the Registry to all monitored institutions. This report gives the doses received by the radiation worker in the last calendar year as well as that in last five year block. The report contains doses from external as well as internal monitoring. The Registry also provides analysis reports to different authorities including information for RTI queries, court cases, over-exposure investigation committees etc. Occupational exposure history certificates are also issued by the Dose Registry on authenticated requests.
3.4 Data analysis
Presently the NODRS database has records of more than 4,00,000 radiation workers. These are from DAE, industry, medical and research institutions of the country. The trend in increase in number of radiation workers over the years is shown in [Figure 2]. Increase in number of radiation workers in three Non-DAE categories of medical, industry and research are shown separately in [Figure 3]. As can be seen from these trends, activities in DAE as well as application of radiation in industry, medical and research sector have increased considerably over the years. | Figure 3: No. of radiation workers from medical, industry and research categories
Click here to view |
[Figure 4] show the trend in collective doses received by radiation workers from Non-DAE institutions during the last ten years. In case of As may be seen, collective dose of medical institutions is increasing steadily. This is evident from the fact that rate of increase of number of medical institutions as well as radiation workers from this field is more compared to that from industry and research institutions. From the total registered institutions as well as active during any particular year, major share is of medical institutions [Figure 5] and [Figure 6]. There were about 80000 radiation workers and about 5000 institutions active during 2009.
In case of active radiation workers in any year, maximum numbers of workers are from medical category followed by DAE, industry and research categories as can be seen from [Figure 7]. | Figure 7: Percentage of active radiation workers in different categories in 2009
Click here to view |
| 4. Conclusion | | |
The database of National Occupational Dose Registry is a great source of information for statistical that can be used for understanding the dose trends and adequacy of the radiological protection programs. The networked system at DAE locations has further eased the operations of the Registry and made the data accessible at a much faster rate. It is a very reliable source available to the monitoring labs to help in their decision making process in routine radiation protection activities at the DAE facilities.
| 5. Reference | | |
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation for the Safety of Radiation Sources, Safety Series No.115, 1996, Vienna.
[Figure 1], [Figure 2], [Figure 3], [Figure 4], [Figure 5], [Figure 6], [Figure 7]
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