Limitation of occupational radiation risk by radiation protection legislation in the Federal Republic of Germany

In the Federal Republic of Germany, as in most other countries, the annual dose limit of 50 mSv for occupationally radiation exposed persons as recommended by ICRP, is applied. Thus, radiation workers shall not be exposed to higher risks than workers in other industries with a high safety standard. A reduction of the annual dose limit was recently considered because the number of fatal work-related accidents has declined in the past 10 years and a higher radiation risk is assumed after the revision of the dosimetry together with the now longer follow-up of the survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Both factors suggest a reduction of the annual dose limit to 10 mSv. Under the present conditions, the German Commission on Radiological Protection (SSK) recommends that the rule of minimisation be applied more strictly and that in the future, in adherence to the annual dose limit of the Radiological Protection Ordinance of 50 mSv, a total dose of 400 mSv during a whole working lifetime shall not be exceeded (occupational lifetime dose). The expected effects of restricting the annual dose limit to 10 mSv are discussed.