72Effective dose limits for ionising radiation

72  Effective dose limits for ionising radiation

Limit for occupational exposure of persons who are at least 18

 (1) Subject to subsections (4) and (6), the effective dose for occupational exposure of a person who is at least 18 years old must not be greater than 20 mSv annually, averaged over 5 consecutive years.

 (2) However, subject to subsection (6), the effective dose for a person who is at least 18 years old subject to occupational exposure must not, in a year, be greater than 50 mSv.

Limit for occupational exposure of persons who are 16 or 17

 (3) Subject to subsection (4), the effective dose for occupational exposure of a person who is 16 or 17 years old must not be greater than 6 mSv annually.

Limit for occupational exposure of persons declared to be pregnant or breastfeeding

 (4) The effective dose for occupational exposure of a person who has declared to the licence holder that the person is pregnant or breastfeeding must not be greater than 1 mSv annually.

Limit for public exposure

 (5) Subject to subsection (6), the effective dose for public exposure (including of an unborn child) must not be greater than 1 mSv annually.

Limit for emergency workers and helpers

 (6) The effective dose for exposure of a person who undertakes an action mentioned in column 1 of an item in the following table must not be greater than as set out in column 2 of that item.

 

• Limit for emergency workers and helpers
• Item Column 1Action Column 2Limit
• 1 An emergency worker undertaking mitigatory actions and urgent protective actions on‑site during a nuclear or radiological emergency, including:(a) lifesaving actions; and(b) actions to prevent serious injury; and(c) actions to prevent the development of catastrophic conditions that could significantly affect people and the environment, and(d) actions to prevent severe tissue reactions that the worker considers is unlikely to result in serious injury (a) in relation to actions of a kind mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of column 1 of this item—500 mSv during the nuclear or radiological emergency;(b) in relation to all other actions—50 mSv during the nuclear or radiological emergency
• 2 An emergency worker or helper undertaking urgent or early protective actions during the emergency response phase of a nuclear or radiological emergency 50 mSv during the nuclear or radiological emergency
• 3 An emergency worker undertaking long‑term recovery operations during transition or termination phases of a nuclear or radiological emergency and beyond 20 mSv annually, averaged over 5 consecutive years

Note: A nuclear or radiological emergency is a nuclear safety incident: see subsection 21(2) of the Act.