Annual report on the present state and activities of the Radiation Protection Department, Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories in fiscal 2009

Radiation Protection Department

This annual report summarizes the various activities on radiation control at the nuclear fuel cycle facilities in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, which were undertaken by the Radiation Protection Department in fiscal 2009. In the Laboratories, the Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP), MOX fuel fabrication facilities, the Chemical Processing Facility (CPF), and various other radioisotopes and uranium research laboratories have been operated. The Radiation Protection Department is responsible for the radiation control in and around the facilities, including personnel monitoring, workplace monitoring, consultation on radiological work planning and evaluation, monitoring of gaseous and liquid waste effluents, environmental monitoring, radiological standards, maintenance of radiation monitoring instruments, quality management, and the related research. In fiscal 2009, the results of radiological monitoring showed the situation to be normal, and no radiological incident or accident occurred. The maximum annual effective dose to radiation workers was 9.7 mSv and the mean annual effective dose was 0.2 mSv. Individual doses were kept within the annual dose limit specified in the safety regulations. The estimated effective dose caused by gaseous and liquid effluents from the TRP to imaginary members of the public around the Laboratories was 1.810 mSv. The environmental monitoring and effluent control were performed appropriately in compliance with safety regulation and standards. As for the quality management activities, the inspection by the government, the internal audit, and the maintenance to revise the documents have been continued in accordance with the quality management system which had been introduced to safety regulation since fiscal 2004.