Group 1 Report

1
Group 1 Report Keep it Simple and Remember the
Past
International Radiation Protection Association

• 2nd Workshop on Radiation Protection Culture
• Charleston, South Carolina, USA
• 10-11 February 2011

2
Q1 What are the important elements of RP
culture?

• A pattern of knowledge (scientific, technical,
  ethical, historical, practical) and behaviours
  (questioning attitude, personal accountability,
  integrity, modesty, engagement with SH, openness,
  adaptable, transparent, exemplar )
• A narrative in common language
• Conditions basic training and continuous
  learning, support of management,
• Remarks
• No basic differences between sectors (medical,
  nuclear, industry,
• Independent of the cultural context. The local
  and regional contexts are part of the narrative
  not in the elements structuring RP culture
  (science, values, experience)

3
Q2 What are the criteria of success and how to
assess RP culture?

• Criteria of success combine soft and
  quantitative assessment criteria (relative
  performance is as important as absolute one)
• General improvement of classical RP indicators
• Implementation of ALARA in all domains
• Increase of voluntary public commitment (ex
  pledges, quality labels,) as an indicator of
  rising awareness
• Increase of public awareness
• Assessment tools
• Programme for identifying and resolving problems
  (Corrective action programme)
• Questionnaire
• Self assessment
• Independent external audit
• Proposal Develop an IRPA RP Culture Audit Tool

4
Q3 How to engage Stakeholders in the IRPA
initiative on RP culture?

• Give visibility to the IRPA initiative (meetings,
  media, web site,)
• Follow the NRC approach to develop the Policy
  Statement on Safety Culture invitation of
  stakeholders in the process (meetings, public
  comments)
• Remarks
• All stakeholders including patients and the
  general public should be involved
• The initiative on RP culture must be developed in
  accordance with the Guiding Principles on
  stakeholder involvement
• A condition for success is transparency of the
  process
• Proposals
• Question to be debated in IRPA 13 How to engage
  SH in the IRPA initiative
• Motto of IRPA 14 Enhancing RP Culture
  Worldwide

5
Q4 What is the role of RP professionals and IRPA
AS with regard to RP culture?

• To promote RP culture by contributing to the
  development of a narrative on radiation
  protection in all exposure situations keeping in
  mind the two slogans
• Keep it simple
• and
• Remember the past

6
Proposed Roadmap

• 2nd Workshop (February 2011)
• IRPA 13 (May 2012) Draft document 1 discussed
  with AS
• 3rd Workshop (Spring 2013) Draft document 1
  discussed with stakeholders
• IRPA Regional Congresses (Spring and Fall 2014)
  Draft document 2 discussed with AS
• 4th Workshop (Spring 2015) Version 2 discussed
  with Stakeholders
• IRPA 14 (May 2016) Adoption by AS of the Guiding
  Principles for Radiation Protection Professionals
  for the Promotion of RP Culture

7
Elements for a definition of RP culture

• Radiation Protection Culture is a pattern of
  knowledge and behaviors
• Acting like a good parent (personalization)
• Considering risk and the characteristics
  associated with the exposure situation at stake
  (commensurate, proportionate to risk)
• Keeping everything simple and practical
• Working together with modesty
• Acting naturally and banally (second nature)
• Acting consistently
• Self policing and self propagating