Products

From the beginning, EAN’s most important events have been the annual Workshops devoted to specific topics where it is thought that significant improvements are still possible and may be expected. with the aim of sharing experiences, promoting debates and drawing conclusions and recommendations to be widely diffused and disseminated towar relevant stakeholders. Each Workshop gives rise to a set of recommendations to the European Commission, to the national regulatory bodies and to other stakeholders in order to facilitate the practical implementation of ALARA.The first twelve Workshops were devoted to:

  • ALARA and Decommissioning (1997, Saclay, France)
  • Good Radiation Protection Practices in Industry and Research (1998, Chilton, UK)
  • Managing Internal Exposure (1999, Munich, Germany)
  • Management of occupational radiological and non-radiological risks: lessons to be learned (2000, Antwerp, Belgium)
  • Industrial Radiography: Improvments in Radiation Protection (2001, Rome, Italy)
  • Occupational Exposure Optimisation in the Medical and Radiopharmaceutical sectors (2002, Madrid, Spain)
  • Decommissioning of Installations and Site Remediation (2003, Arnhem, The Netherlands)
  • Occupational Radiological Protection Control through Inspection and Self-Assessment (2004, Uppsala, Sweden)
  • Occupational Exposure to Natural Radiation (2005, Augsburg, Germany)
  • Experience and new developments in implementing ALARA in occupational, public and patient exposures (2006, Prague, Czech Republic)
  • ALARA in Radioactive Waste Management (2008, Athens, Greece)
  • ALARA issues arising for Safety and Security of Radiation Sources and Security Screening Devices (2009, Vienna, Austria)
  • ALARA in the medical sector (2011, Oscarborg fortress, Norway)

From the beginning, EAN has also published the ALARA Newsletter twice a year to disseminate practical. cases of ALARA implementation, examples of good practices, lessons learned, workshop conclusions, ALARA information, etc. Feedback from different sources indicates that the Newsletters reach several thousand individuals or institutions, mainly in Europe, and that the lessons learned from incidents are among the most interesting information.

By 2000, it was decided to make use of EAN as a vehicle to support European surveys on topics of interest to radiological protection. The first survey dealt with the actual implementation of the European BSS (2000). Its results were presented in the Newsletter 9 in 2001. An update was presented during the 10th Workshop in 2006. Other surveys dealt with the incidents data exchange (2000 - 2002) and the implementation of the EC Directive on outside workers (2004 - 2005). Many other surveys have also been performed.

Finally, working groups and sub-networks are established on topics of particular interest. Sub-networks are meant to be sustainable, whereas working groups are created for a limited period of time. In 2005 the European Radioprotection Authorities Network (ERPAN) was set up to deal with operational exchanges on regulation and control activities such as specific inspections and transcription of EC Directives into national regulations. In 2009, a working group on ALARA culture has been set up.