Initiative on RP culture

BL G

International Radiation Protection Associa

B. 

Le 

Guen
RP culture initiative

• We are observing significant development in the use 

ionising radiation in the medical field as well as nucleindustry revival throughout the world,

• The generation who developed RP applied today is gra

leaving now and in the next ten years. As we change tof the teams, we must remain vigilant in order to ma

high degree of competence and to continue making pro

• One way of preventing the risk is to root 

radiation protection in the general culturso to develop a RP culture. 

high degree of competence and to continue making pro

radiation protection 

• The use of radiation sources in new sectors, companies 

countries may lead to some loss of this RP heritage.
RP Culture

• Principle : Two axes of work:

1. What a culture RP? 

– In analogy to a definition of safety culture: Safety cu

term often used to describe the way in which managed in the workplace, and often reflects "the beliefs, perceptions and values that employees relation to safety" (Cox and Cox, 1991).

– The term “RP culture” describes the way in which RP is 

managed, performed, preserved, and perceived in the win medicine, and every day’s life and reflects "the attitudeperceptions, goals, and values that employees, pra

regulators, and society share in relation to RP".

2.How can we develop it?

Culture must be more than rules; it must be lived becaus

knowledge and understanding

– RP principles– Fields of RP– RP players– RP practices
Improving Radiation Protection Culture

An IRPA Working Group proposed by SFRP

FS, OvS, SFRP meeting

St b 19 Strasbourg 19-20 May
RP RP Culture

• Management 

Commitment

• Condition of 

Employment

• Fear/Discipline• Rules/Procedures• Supervisor Control, 

Emphasis, and Goals

• Value All People• Training

• Personal Knowledge, 

Commitment, and Standards

• Internalization• Personal Value• Care for Self• Practice, Habits• Individual Recognition

• Help • Othe• Netw• Care • Orga

Reactive Dependent Dependent Independent Independent

• Safety by Natural 

Instinct

• Compliance is the Goal• Delegated to Safety 

Manager

• Lack of Management 

Involvement

Interd

TIME
What could be the 1st Int. seminar

• An international brainstorming with 

RP societies with a view to podeveloping the IRPA’s “GPrinciples” for Radiation ProtCulture.

• Proposal during those two days to 

organize different round table , each will have specific question and presentation of the results the secondays , 

• Participation to the meeting : 250 Eur
Question proposed

• Why a RP culture WG?• Why should radiation protection be rooted in c• What could a RP culture consist of? (concept 

culture )

• What are the RP Culture values ?

•

vi th l f th diff t t ? iews on the role o

f the differen

t ac

tors

?

• How to position the RP risk within an integr

risk management system ?

• How could RP culture be developed, How can 

culture be fostered?

• What could be the schedule?

The strategy?
December 14 and 15, 2009 

Paris

16 rue 

750
“RP culture” seminar in the United State

• This globally oriented initiative needed the suppor

organizations to really get off the ground.

• the 2nd international seminar on RP culture will be 

December 2010. This US-hosted event will take place support of the American Health Physics Society (HAmerican Academy of Health Physics (AAHP) and the Council on Radiation Protection and measurements (N

• a core group was set up in July for the purpose of a

this forthcoming event.
What could be the schedule?

• Based on the successful experience of the 

WG on guiding principle on stakeholder engagement

• 2 axis: 

–What is a RP culture?–How could we help to develop this culture throug

world?

–Organisation of WG meetings: 2009, 2010 and 2

May 2009

meeting SFRP-FS

Strasbourg

European RP societies 

meeting

2è oct Zagreb.

Juin 2010

IRPA Helsinki

2rd WG m

USA 2

April 2009

French workshop

SFRP

Inter. Workshop.

PARIS

December 2009

IRPA Tokyo

Mai 2010