Health and safety record of the nuclear industry
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Date
1975-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Australian Atomic Energy Commission
Abstract
This paper examines the claim of the nuclear industry to have an excellent safety record, in terms of health and accident records of workers in the industry. It does not consider accidents which have not resulted in harm to the workers' health. The nuclear industry is considered to include all work with ionising radiation's and radioactive materials, in education, research, medicine and industry. Since 'safety' is not an absolute concept, comparisons are made with the published records of other industries, and a study is made of the performance of the nuclear industry in relation to its own safety criteria. Data are presented on the radiation exposure of nuclear workers in Europe, America, India and Australia, in relation to the internationally recommended limits, and there is some discussion of the risks involved in these limits. The death rate in parts of the nuclear industry in America, the United Kingdom, and Australia is presented and compared with the death rate for other industries in those countries, and a listing is made of deaths caused by radiation in the period 1945 to 1968. Injury rates for the US and Australian nuclear industries are also compared with the injury rates for other industries in these countries. Consideration is given to the safety record of individual components of the nuclear industry (using the wide definition of this industry given above), special attention being given to health records or uranium miners, plutonium workers and radiologists. Although there are difficulties in obtaining sufficiently detailed information of this kind it is considered that the data presented, relative to any reasonable standard, demonstrate that the nuclear industry has a safety record to be proud of.
Description
Keywords
Nuclear industry, Radiation hazards, Working conditions, Comparative evaluations, Safety, Radiation doses
Citation
Carter, M. W., Button, J. C. E., & Carruthers, E. W. (1975). Health and safety record of the nuclear industry (AAEC/IP8). Lucas Heights, NSW: Australian Atomic Energy Commission, Research Establishment.