IRPA13 Refresher Courses and Workshops
Unless indicated otherwise in the following descriptions these courses have been
designed for radiation protection professionals at any stage in their career as well as
other Congress participants.
All Refresher Courses are from 8:00-8:55 and the Medical Workshops are on
Wednesday afternoon. The cost of each is £30.
Refresher Courses
Monday 14 May
RC1: Biological effects of radiation
This course will provide an overview of biological responses to radiation that
contribute to carcinogenesis, providing a brief summary of the rapid response to DNA
damage and the persistent biology exhibited by irradiated cells and tissues. The
course is designed for all Congress participants that are interested in the current
state of art in regards to the biological effects of radiation. Limited background
knowledge of the subject is assumed.
Professor Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff is Director of Radiation Biology at the New
York University School of Medicine. She has over 20 years experience in radiation
biology and was Chief Scientist for the DOE OBER Low Dose Program from 20062010.
RC2: Use of the INES scale to communicate the safety significance of nuclear
or radiological events
Participants will gain knowledge on the basis used to set criteria included in the
International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) to determine the
significance of any event. They will learn how to use the scale to classify various
events and as a communication tool with stakeholders. The course is designed for all
Congress participants that are interested in learning and sharing their views on how
to effectively communicate the significance of nuclear and/or radiological events.
Dr Cynthia Jones is Senior Technical Advisor for Nuclear Security in the Office of
Nuclear Security and Incident Response of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission;
with over 25 years of health physics and nuclear engineering technical experience.
She is an NCRP Council Member.
RC3: Radiation detriment: evolution of its estimation and its role in the RP
system
This course will provide an historical perspective on radiation detriment, explaining
the elements used in its construction and evaluation. This course is designed for all
those interested in better understanding the concepts contributing to the foundation
of the radiation protection system.
Dr Thierry Schneider is Deputy Director of CEPN (Nuclear Protection Evaluation
Centre – France), where he has worked since 1985. He has a background in
Economics and has been involved in a number of projects related to the assessment
and management of radiological risk. He has been involved in two ICRP task groups
and is currently a member of CRPPH.
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RC4: Optical radiation safety
The course will provide an introduction to optical radiation safety (both laser and
non-laser) with particular reference to international safety standards and legislation.
An assessment methodology will be introduced with the emphasis on practical
solutions to optical radiation safety issues.
Dr John O’Hagan heads the UK Health Protection Agency’s Laser and Optical
Radiation Dosimetry Group, which was responsible for drafting the European
Commission’s guide to the Artificial Optical Radiation Directive. He has over 20 years
experience providing advice to Government Departments and others on laser and
optical radiation safety. He is Chairman of the BSI “optical radiation safety and laser
equipment” committee and is Convenor of Working Group 8 of the International
Electrotechnical Commission laser safety Standards’ committee.
RC5: Design of medical facilities: radiotherapy shielding design
This course will provide an introduction and overview of issues relating to the design
of shielding for radiotherapy departments. The course is relevant to Congress
participants working in the medical sector, particularly those with an interest in
radiotherapy. This will be an introductory level course for recently qualified
professionals, or those with limited experience of working in this particular area.
Dr John Harrison - until his retirement in 2010 he was a consultant medical
physicist and head of the Radiation Physics & Imaging Unit in the Regional Medical
Physics Department, Freeman Hospital, and honorary senior lecturer in medical
physics in the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. He is currently Chairman of
Working Group 9 of the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS).
Tuesday 15 May
RC6: Conducting effective stakeholder involvement
Participants will learn about the importance of credibility and trust for effective
stakeholder engagement. A number of case studies will be used to highlight
advantages and pitfalls of various approaches, and the lessons learned. It is
designed for Congress participants that are interested in learning how to
communicate more effectively with their stakeholders.
Dr Helen Grogan trained as a radioecologist and has almost 3 decades experience
evaluating exposures and health risks to the public from radionuclides and chemicals
in the environment. As a principal researcher for Risk Assessment Corporation, she
manages the technical aspects of projects which focus on dose reconstruction,
emergency response recovery issues and the assessment of radioactive and nonradioactive hazardous wastes. Dr Grogan has served on committees for the NAS, the
EPA and the NCRP.
RC7: Fundamental principles and recent developments in internal dosimetry
This course will provide a description of the main principles and methods of internal
dosimetry and individual monitoring for internal contamination, and will also highlight
some recent developments in the field, including the revised ICRP models. The
lecture is aimed at radiation protection professionals who may have limited
experience of internal dosimetry, or who wish to learn about recent advances.
Dr George Etherington leads the Internal Dosimetry Group at the UK HPA Centre
for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. He has over 25 years of
experience in radiation measurement, detection and internal dosimetry and is a
member of the INDOS Task Group of ICRP Committee 2.
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RC8: Training workers in RP for a safer work environment
The course will cover the factors to consider when developing training for the various
types of personnel who may be exposed to radiation in the workplace, including the
core knowledge requirements and the need to reflect the different ways in which
people learn. The focus of the course will be on nuclear fuel cycle facilities including
power stations but the general principles are applicable in other contexts. It is
suitable for all radiation protection professionals who have an involvement or interest
in training.
Mrs Vivra Nilsson has been Deputy RP manager at Forsmark NPP, Sweden, since
2006 and has nearly 20 years experience in radiation protection, especially
dosimetry, and associated training activities.
RC9: EMF Measurements for health and risk assessment
This course gives a broad introductory overview of the types of measurements
needed for the risk assessment of EMFs, and the general procedure for determining
whether compliance with relevant standards is satisfied. It is aimed at health and
safety professionals as well as other stakeholders interested in EMF measurements
for heath risk assessment. It will include demonstrations of some relevant
instruments.
Dr Carolina Calderon joined the EMF Dosimetry Group at the UK Health Protection
Agency in 2007. Her current research interests include the measurement and
characterisation in the near field of low frequency small sources. In particular, she
has been assessing exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields from mobile
phones as part of the EU FP7 MOBIKIDS project. Carolina also organises EMF
awareness courses for local authorities, industry H&S managers, and environmental
health professionals. She will be assisted by Darren Addison who will be
demonstrating many of the instruments.
RC10: Radiation protection issues for novel radionuclide therapies
Course details to be finalised.
Wendy Waddington is Head of Clinical Nuclear Medicine Physics at the University
College London Institute of Nuclear Medicine, UK.
Wednesday 16 May
RC11: Supporting stakeholder needs for information and facts
Course details to be finalised.
Dr Brooke Rogers is Senior Lecturer in Risk and Terror in the Department of War
Studies, King's College London, UK.
RC12: Radiation Protection in NORM industries
Participants will gain an overview of the current requirements to manage radiation
protection in NORM industries according to Directive 96/29/Euratom and its
implementation in practice. The course is intended for radiation protection
professionals as well as representatives from NORM industries with a specific interest
in radiation protection. It will assume a basic prior knowledge of the subject.
Karin Wichterey is currently a consultant working for the German Federal Office for
Radiation Protection (BfS). She has over 20 years experience of work on NORM,
mining legacies (in particular Uranium), and radioecology.
RC13: Safety and security in the transport of radioactive materials
Course details to be finalised.
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Stephen Whittingham has more than 30 years of experience in the nuclear field,
including 24 years in industry, concerning the transport of spent nuclear fuel in
Europe, MOX fuel to Japan and nuclear wastes in the UK. For the last 8 years he has
worked in the UK Competent Authority, where he is responsible for the quality and
compliance inspections of the medical and industrial sectors.
RC14: Considerations in estimating public doses from nuclear facilities
An overview of the mechanisms by which radiation exposure of the public can arise
from the discharge of radioactive waste into the environment will be given and an
introduction to the use of models to estimate such exposures. The course is designed
for Congress participants with an interest in the area and it assumes limited
background knowledge.
Ms Kelly Jones has over 15 years experience of assessing the radiological impact of
disposals to the environment. She has managed a large variety of projects including
producing guidance for the European Commission on the realistic assessment of
doses to members of the public. She is currently working with UNSCEAR to revise
their dose assessment methodology.
RC15: Radiation protection and pregnancy in the medical environment
This course will provide a detailed overview of radiation protection considerations
and dosimetry for both staff and patients who are pregnant, or possibly pregnant,
and either working with or receiving medical irradiation. It will be a detailed overview
and update, and will assume some basic dosimetry knowledge. It is relevant to
Congress participants working in the medical sector.
Dr Ernest Osei is Director of the Medical Physics Department at the Grand River
Regional Cancer Centre, Ontario, Canada. He has over 20 years experience in Medical
Physics. His research interests include the estimation of foetal doses and risk assessment
in diagnostic radiology and the application of Monte Carlo simulation in dosimetry.
Thursday 17 May
RC16: Using new technologies in support of stakeholder involvement
Participants will gain knowledge and hands-on experience in the use of the latest
web based communications tools and social media (eg Twitter, FaceBook, Webinars)
in order to more effectively communicate with stakeholders. Designed for all
Congress participants interested in learning and gaining hands-on experience using
the latest new communications tools (bring your computer or PDA along with you to
gain the greatest benefit).
Sven Nagel studied Radiation Protection at the Cooperative State University in
Karlsruhe and then worked in the Institute of Radiation Research at the Karlsruhe
Institute of Technology. Since 2009 he has worked as a Radiation Protection Expert
at TUV Rheinland, in Cologne. He is a member of the board of the German/Swiss
Radiation Protection Association and contact person for young persons. He has
experience in using new technologies in support of stakeholder involvement. He
created and is administrator for the Facebook pages for IRPA13 and for the
German/Swiss Radiation Protection Association.
RC17: Optimisation of RP for the decommissioning of facilities
Based on a few practical examples, this Refresher Course is intended to present the
main issues to be looked at when entering the “decommissioning design phase” and
to outline a set of approaches for running decommissioning operations safely and
efficiently. The course is mainly aimed at those RP professionals planning to
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undertake decommissioning activities in the coming months or years. But more
experienced colleagues will also be welcomed as the course could provide them with
a very useful opportunity to share their own experience and to establish useful
contacts with “future decommissioners”.
Mr Pascal Deboodt currently works at SCK/CEN as an advisor on RP issues and for
Belgonucléaire advising on decommissioning. He has over 20 years experience in
nuclear engineering and radiation protection.
RC18: Introduction to Post Closure Safety Assessment of near-surface
disposal facilities
This course will include an overview of the PCSA process as part of the development
of the safety case for a near-surface facility. It includes an introduction to the key
concepts and safety assessment methodologies. It is intended for all Congress
participants with an interest in waste management - limited background knowledge
is assumed.
Dr Japie van Blerk has more than 20 years of experience in safety assessment of
near-surface radioactive waste disposal systems. Prior to his current post as a
director at AquiSim Consulting, he worked at the South African Nuclear Energy
Corporation (Necsa) for 11 years, where his main responsibility was the safety
assessment of the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility at Vaalputs. He has
provided extensive consultancy, expert mission and technical training services to the
IAEA and currently participates in the IAEA PRISM Project.
RC19: Emergency management according to new IAEA BSS
Participants will learn about the changes introduced by ICRP Publication 103 to the
management of emergency exposure situations and how have they been
incorporated into new IAEA International Basis Safety Standards. The concepts of
reference levels and criteria and how to set values for them to protect members of
the public and exposed workers will be discussed. Information on the best
approaches to applying justification and optimization principles to develop protection
strategies will be given. This course is designed as an update for Congress
participants with a background in emergency preparedness and response.
Dr Elena Buglova, Incident and Emergency Centre, Department of Nuclear Safety
and Security, IAEA.
RC20: Radiation protection for interventional X-ray procedures
This course will provide an overview, including recent developments, of issues
relating to both staff protection and patient protection during interventional
diagnostic X-ray procedures. Practical recommendations for RP of patients and staff
will be summarized together with the international recommendations and standards,
dealing with interventional radiology. The course will address the new ICRP
recommendations, including the eye dose limit. It will be of interest to Congress
participants working in the medical sector, particularly those with an interest in
radiology.
Professor Eliseo Vano is Professor of Medical Physics at the Faculty of Medicine of
the Complutense University of Madrid and head of the Medical Physics Service at the
San Carlos University Hospital. He is advisor to the Spanish Ministry of Health for
radiation protection in medical exposures and is Chair of ICRP Committee 3
(Protection in Medicine).
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Friday 18 May
RC21: Introduction to Post Closure Safety Assessment of deep geological
disposal facilities
The purpose of this course is to present an introductory overview of the state of the
art in conducting PCSA of deep geological disposal facilities. The concepts, methods
and approaches used in PCSA, especially in relation to the unique challenges of
projecting facility performance over significant timescales and communicating the
results to various stakeholders, will be explored. It is intended for all Congress
participants with an interest in waste management - limited background knowledge
is assumed.
Dr Matthew Kozak is a Principal Engineer with INTERA Inc. He has performed
project work on radioactive waste management in over a dozen countries, supporting
various governmental and commercial clients. Current examples of these projects
include providing technical support to the Swedish high-level waste repository
program and development of an independent safety assessment capability for the
Finnish regulatory authority.
RC 22: External Dosimetry
Course details to be finalised.
Mr Rodolfo Cruz Suarez is an operational radiation protection specialist with the
Radiation Safety and Monitoring Section, IAEA.
RC23: Optimisation of radiation protection for radon exposure in homes
This course will present and discuss methodologies to apply the optimisation principle
for radon exposure in houses, using the Swiss experience as an example. It will
cover: evaluation of the exposure situation at a country level (role of reference
level); possible protection options and their efficiency; and the main actors to be
involved to implement the actions (role of national and local authorities, engagement
of inhabitants, builders etc). For all Congress participants with an interest in radon.
Dr Christophe Murith heads the radiological risks section of the Swiss Federal
Office of Public Health and is in charge of the Swiss National Radon Program. He has
over 25 years experience in RP. He was a member of the WG involved in the
production of the WHO radon handbook 2009 and is currently WHO consultant for
the revision of DS421 safety guide concerning indoor exposure to natural radiation
sources.
RC24: Radiation Protection of the Environment
Participants will gain knowledge of the latest international developments concerning
the ICRP Reference Animals and Plants framework and more generally the
approaches to demonstrate whether the environment is protected from the effects of
authorised releases of ionising radiation. It will be of relevance to all Congress
participants with an interest in this area, particularly RP professionals who have a
responsibility to undertake environmental impact assessments.
Dr David Copplestone is Senior Lecturer in Environmental Radioactivity at the
University of Stirling, UK with over 19 years experience directing and leading
research on, and modelling, the fate, behaviour and impact of radionuclides in the
environment. He is a member of ICRP Committee 5 (Environmental Protection).
RC25: Radiation protection and dosimetry in paediatric CT
This course will provide an overview, including recent developments, of issues
relating to the radiation risk to paediatric patients during CT, and ways of minimizing
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this risk. It will be of interest to Congress participants working in the medical sector,
particularly those with an interest in paediatric radiology.
Keith Strauss is a clinical imaging physicist at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Medical Center with an academic appointment in the Radiology Department of the
University Medical School and over 25 years experience in medical physics. His
clinical focus in recent years has been the reduction of paediatric radiation doses
while improving image quality during imaging. Since its inception in 2007 he has
been a steering committee member of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric
Imaging, which works to promote optimized imaging practices through such
initiatives as Image Gently.
Medical Sector Practical Workshops
Wednesday 16 May afternoon
These workshops will be led by experts in the relevant fields, and will involve hands
on experience of solving routine radiation protection problems. The workshops will
only run subject to a minimum number of registrants, and will be limited to a
maximum of 25 in each due to restrictions on space and the number of laptops
available.
Workshop 1: Room design in Diagnostic Radiology. Led by Professor Jim Malone.
Workshop 2: Patient dose calculation in Computed Tomography. Led by Sue
Edyvean.
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