Singapore legislation
Regulation 68
of Radiation Protection (Ionising Radiation) Regulations 2023
Regulation 68
Protection of emergency workers
Subregulation 1
The response organisation and employers responsible for ensuring compliance with the requirements in paragraphs (2) to (10) must be specified in the emergency plan.
Subregulation 2
In an emergency exposure situation, the requirements for occupational exposure in Part 10 must be applied for emergency workers, where applicable, except as provided in paragraph (3).
Subregulation 3
Every response organisation and every employer must ensure that no emergency worker is subject to exposure exceeding 50 mSv other than —
for the purpose of saving life or preventing serious injury;
when undertaking actions to avert a large collective dose; or
when undertaking actions to prevent severe deterministic effects and actions to prevent the development of catastrophic conditions that could significantly affect people and the environment.
Subregulation 4
In the exceptional circumstances of paragraph (3), every response organisation and every employer must make all reasonable efforts to keep doses to emergency workers below the appropriate guidance values for restricting exposure of emergency workers specified in Part 4 of the Second Schedule.
Subregulation 5
Emergency workers undertaking actions due to which their doses could approach or exceed the appropriate guidance values for restricting exposure of emergency workers specified in Part 4 of the Second Schedule must do so only when the expected benefits to other persons would clearly outweigh the risks to emergency workers.
Subregulation 6
Every response organisation and every employer must ensure that every emergency worker who undertakes any action in which any dose received is likely to exceed 50 mSv —
does so voluntarily;
has been clearly and comprehensively informed in advance of the associated health risks, as well as of available measures for protection and safety; and
is, to the extent possible, trained in the action that the worker is required to take.
Subregulation 7
Every worker undertaking work such as repairs to plants and buildings or activities for radioactive waste management or remedial work for the decontamination of the site and surrounding areas, is subject to the requirements relating to occupational exposure in Part 10.
Subregulation 8
Every response organisation and every employer must take all reasonable steps to assess and record the doses received in an emergency by every emergency worker.
Subregulation 9
The information on the doses received mentioned in paragraph (8) and information concerning the associated health risks must be communicated to the individual worker concerned by the response organisation or employer, as the case may be.
Subregulation 10
A worker who has received a dose in an emergency exposure situation must normally be precluded from incurring any further occupational exposure, and medical advice from a medical practitioner must be obtained before further occupational exposure if the worker has received a dose exceeding 200 mSv or at the request of the worker.