Radiation situation at workplaces of personnel during radioactive waste management at nuclear shipbuilding and ship repair enterprises

   The relevance of the study is driven by the active development of the shipbuilding industry in Russia, including enterprises of atomic shipbuilding and ship repair, where radioactive waste is generated.

   The increase in work volumes with radioactive waste raises the risk of increased radiation doses to personnel, necessitating a comprehensive assessment of the radiation environment and improvement of the radiation control system.

   The aim of this work is to assess the radiation environment at personnel workplaces during radioactive waste handling and to identify priority directions for improving the radiation control system.

   Materials and Methods: The assessment of the radiation environment was performed based on the enterprise's production control materials and field study data. Parameter measurements were conducted using certified measurement methodologies. All measuring instruments underwent timely metrological verification.

   Results and Discussion: Results showed that the main radiation factors affecting personnel working conditions are external gamma radiation and radioactive contamination of work surfaces by beta-emitting radionuclides (both fixed and removable). An uneven distribution of dose load on the body was identified during different stages of radioactive waste handling. At the workplaces involved in processing liquid and solid radioactive waste, gamma radiation levels exceed those at other workplaces. However, the average individual radiation doses of personnel do not exceed dose limits and tend to decrease both within specific personnel categories and across the enterprise as a whole.

   Conclusion: The conclusion confirms the effectiveness of current radiation safety measures and identifies priority directions for improving the radiation control system at the enterprise.

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