Revisions to L93 Radiation Guidance
In February 2024, CLEAPSS released the latest edition of L093: Managing Ionising Radiations and Radioactive Substances in Schools and Colleges. Below are significant updates compared to the previous (2019) edition.
Revision Rationale
The need for revision stemmed from various factors. One was to assist RPS(Schools) in assessing the suitability of the L093 guidance for their specific context. This necessity was underscored by the 2023 HSE inspection, revealing instances where schools lacked evidence of engaging with L093. The new edition mandates RPS(Schools) to review specific sections, annotate where necessary, and affirm suitability, a process expected to be relatively straightforward.
Additionally, insights from the CLEAPSS Helpline calls and school visits provided data on the degradation of radiation sources, some of which are several decades old. Consequently, the status of three sources has been altered based on this evidence: radium foil cup sources, homemade protactinium generators, and radium-foil expansion cloud chambers.
The new guides are available here:
Key Revisions
- Sections 6.5, 6.6.1, 9, and 15 now require completion by RPS(Schools), a relatively simple task.
- Radium cup source has been reclassified for periodic review; any signs of foil discolouration warrant disposal.
- Schools are advised to dispose of radium sources in expansion cloud chambers due to observed discolouration.
- Homemade protactinium generators should have been disposed of following the previous edition.
- Specific risk assessment guidance for each source now includes indicative dose rates and confirms alignment with intended use.
- Refresher training is now mandated every five years by HSE.
- Section 9 has been overhauled, renaming minor and serious incidents to radiation incidents and accidents, respectively.
- Physical rehearsal of contingency plans is replaced by detailed desktop rehearsals with authorized users, a record of which must be kept.
- Technical justification document previously separate is integrated into L093 for clarity.
- Redundant section 17 on Definitions has been removed.
- Transport guidance has been updated to reflect regulatory changes, advising against using private vehicles for transporting radioactive sources.
- Leak testing protocol for Isotrak rod source is outlined in Section 11.
- Checklist for RPS(Schools) (16.1) now serves as a comprehensive record of necessary actions.
- Source history sheet (16.4) amendments include removal of options, addition of columns for test reasons and comments.
- Monthly store check procedure (16.3) is revised for clarity.
- Redundant checklist (16.8) is removed, integrated into existing checklists.
Other Revisions
Minor changes throughout the document aim to enhance clarity and remove redundancy.
Actions Required
- Download L093 and complete designated sections.
- Transition to new record templates in Section 16, archiving old ones.
- Dispose of DIY protactinium generators through registered waste carriers.
- Dispose of expansion cloud chambers if applicable.
- Ensure refresher training for authorized users is up to date.
- Brief all authorized users on the main changes in the new edition of L093.