From time to time the Institute issues Codes of Practice on various aspects of radiological protection. These codes, which offer practical advice to licensees on procedures to minimise radiation doses to staff and members of the public, are drawn up in consultation with the relevant Government Departments and professional bodies. The ICRP was established in 1928 and its recommendations, while not mandatory, are highly influential internationally. As a result of a continual process of reappraisal, ICRP recognised during the 1980s that the risks of exposure to ionising radiation were greater than had previously been thought. ICRP published new general recommendations in 1991, known as ICRP 60, which updated the standards in ICRP 26 and further developed the conceptual framework.
Practices cover the uses of ionising radiation already referred to such as medical uses etc.
An example of intervention is the actions taken to reduce exposure in the aftermath of an accident. The principles which apply to practices, where the risk of exposure can be controlled, are different to those applying to intervention. In the latter case, a balance has to be struck between risks arising from the existing exposure situation and the risks involved in intervention measures taken to reduce that exposure. In Ireland, the implementation of the BSS Directive results in the following changes Use of the new ICRP concept of practices and intervention Explicit treatment of natural radiation sources Explicit treatment of 'intervention' which includes emergency preparedness. This statutory instrument provides the framework for the Institute's licensing system and details the general radiation protection requirements for all users of ionising radiation.