An IAEA update on NORM: ISEMIR-N platform and Intercomparison Exercise on NORM analysis

The IAEA is the one of the leading international organisations in establishing and maintaining the information exchange platforms, such as Information System on Occupational Exposure in Medicine, Industry and Research (ISEMIR), which is a tool to improve implementation of optimization of occupational radiation protection for interventional cardiology facilities (ISEMIR-IC) and for non-destructive testing companies carrying out industrial radiograph (ISEMIR-IR). 

With the experience gained from the operation of ISEMIR modules, UMEX and others and demand from Member States to strengthen their capabilities for the realistic assessment of radiological impacts of NORM, a new web-based module (so-called ISEMIR-N) has been developed to improve the optimization of occupational radiation protection in different industrial processes involving Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) through regular collection and maintenance of data on occupational exposure. The ISEMIR-N covers all NORM industrial processes and offers a model for dose assessment, but not in character of a dose registry and aims to enhance the worker protection through strengthening and harmonizing the radiation protection programmes for different NORM involving industrial operations and processes. 

Design has been completed by March 2019 and IT development has been initiated by June 2021. The initial design characteristics were evaluated with an IAEA Technical Meeting that was organized in November 2021 attended by 69 official participants from 41 Member States.  

The ISEMIR-N platform is in use with 54 users from 51 organisations.  

The module with its conceptual background, organizational characteristics, technical content and interfaces will be described.