Re: European Communities and Radiation Exposure of Flight Crews

["Wim Passchier" <wfpas@worldaccess.nl>]

As I mentioned in an earlier mail, it is my perception that the exposure of
flight crews will become a matter of discussion in the coming years. The
unions of flight attendents and other flight personnel have already put the
subject on their agenda a few years ago. Doses can be measured of
calculated rather accurately. From the well know dose reduction measures
(time, distance, shielding) only time seems to be relevant. Given current
radiation (genotoxic substances) policies, it is unreasonable not to direct
attention to the exposure of the airline crews. The exposure to 'natural'
radiation will be a subject of discussion in the European Union in the
years to come, not only with respect to flight personnel.
Wim Passchier.

>reply to:

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 16:16:29 -0700
From: dj_strom@ccmail.pnl.gov (Daniel J Strom)
Subject: European Communities and Radiation Exposure of Flight Crews

While perusing the very interesting Council Directive, I inadvertently 
came across the following currently recommended law for the European 
Communities regarding radiation exposure to flight crews.  Our European 
colleagues would appear to have taken the lead on this issue.

``Article 42  Protection of Air Crew

Each Member State shall make arrangements for undertakings operating 
aircraft to take account of exposure to cosmic radiation of air crew who 
are liable to be subject to exposure to more than 1 mSv per year.  The 
undertakings shall take appropriate measures, in particular:

- to assess the exposure of the crew concerned,

- to take into account the assessed exposure when organizing working 
schedules with a view to reducing the doses of highly exposed air crew,

- to inform the workers concerned of the health risks their work 
involves,

- to apply Article 10 [Special protection during pregnancy and 
breastfeeding] to female air crew.''

Council of the European Union.  Council Directive 96/29/EURATOM of 13 
May 1996 laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the 
health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising 
from ionizing radiation.  Official Journal of the European Communities 
39(L 159):1-114; 1996.

Comments?

- Dan Strom

The opinions expressed above are my own, and have not been reviewed or 
approved by Battelle, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, or the 
U.S. Department of Energy.

Daniel J. Strom
Health Protection Department K3-56
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Battelle Boulevard, P.O. Box 999
Richland, WA 99352-0999 USA
(509) 375-2626
(509) 375-2019 fax
dj_strom@pnl.gov

Dep. Executive Director, Health Council of the Netherlands
PO Box 1236, NL 2280 CE RIJSWIJK
tel +31 70 340 6262, fax +31 70 340 7523
e-mail wf.passchier@gr.nl
private: Severij 1, NL 3155 BR MAASLAND
tel +31 10 599 0247
e-mail wfpas@worldaccess.nl