Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Radiation Protection Convention, 1960 (No. 115) - Poland (Ratification: 1964)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government, in its report in response to its previous request, concerning: Article 14 of the Convention, on workers who can no longer perform work involving exposure to ionizing radiations; and Article 15 on inspection services.

General observation of 2015. The Committee would like to draw the Government’s attention to its general observation of 2015 under this Convention, and in particular to the request for information contained in paragraph 30 thereof.

Articles 3(1) and 6(2) of the Convention. All appropriate steps to ensure the effective protection of workers, in the light of available knowledge and dose limits for occupational exposure. The Committee previously noted that, pursuant to section 19(1) of the Atomic Law, in special cases, excluding radiological emergencies, radiation workers may willingly and with the consent of the President of the National Atomic Energy Agency, receive doses exceeding dose limit values, if this is necessary to perform a specified task.

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report that there has not been any requests made for consent regarding the planned exceeding of the dose limits. However, it also notes the Government’s indication that between 2009 and 2013, 28 workers were subject to effective annual doses of between 20 and 50 mSv, and two workers were subject to an annual effective dose of more than 50 mSv. Recalling that under Article 6(2) of the Convention, maximum permissible doses shall be kept under constant review in the light of current knowledge, the Committee wishes to draw the Government’s attention to paragraph 32 of its general observation, in which it noted that the dose limits recommended for occupational exposure are 20 mSv per year averaged over defined five-year periods, with a maximum of 50 mSv effective dose in any one year. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures it is taking to review the maximum permissible doses established, in light of current knowledge, as well as the steps taken to ensure that these limits are applied in practice in order to provide effective protection for workers.