Bridging Frameworks: A Comparison of Occupational Health and Safety's Hierarchy of Controls and the International System of Radiation Protection

T. Lynn MacDonald | Radiation Safety Institute of CanadaEnoch ABC Ballroom

Those responsible for radiation protection in the workplace come to the role through many different pathways. Experience training Radiation Safety Officers and X-Ray Safety Officers has revealed that while many will have previous radiation protection training, it is very common for those moving into these roles to come from Occupational Health and Safety or Industrial Hygiene.

Humans use mental models, or schema, to understand the world. They assimilate new information based on their existing schema. Those formally trained in radiation  protection are well versed in the International System of Radiation Protection (ISRP), based on the fundamental principles of justification, optimization, and limitation as described in ICRP Publication 103. Those with training in Occupational Health and Safety or Industrial Hygiene in Canada or the United States work with a framework called the Hierarchy of Controls (HoC).

This presentation will compare these safety frameworks with consideration of how the schema of these two groups of radiation protection personnel may differ and look for obvious areas on which to build a common understanding of radiation protection in the workplace. Hopefully, consideration of this topic will lead to improved communication and help safety professionals avoid misconceptions which might arise due to differences in foundational knowledge.

Radiation Safety Institute of Canada
Tue 9:00 am - 10:15 am