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IONISING RADIATIONS
Experience gained prior to, and following, the coming into operation on the
1st December, 1963, of the Radioactive Substances Act, 1960, and the issue by the
Minister of Labour of the Code of Practice for the Protection of Persons Exposed
to Ionising Radiations in Research and Teaching, made necessary fresh guidance
to schools and colleges by the Secretary of State of the Department of Education
and Science.
The principal concern of the Secretary of State in issuing Administrative
Memorandum 1/65, which gives this guidance to schools, establishments of further
education and teacher training colleges, is with the health and safety of those
working with these potentially dangerous sources of ionising radiations.
The Memorandum states that it is the responsibility of local education authorities,
in the case of maintained and assisted establishments, and of governing
bodies of establishments not maintained or assisted by local education authorities,
to take precautions to protect those who might be affected by exposure to ionising
radiations while on the establishment's premises, whether in the course of their
work or otherwise.
In respect of schools, the approval of the Secretary of State is required before
radioactive sources (other than potassium, uranium and thorium compounds normally
used as a chemical reagent) are used. Application on form I.R.N. (Certificate) is
required when closed sources up to 10 micro curies each, and up to 30 micro curies
in aggregate, are to be used as set out by the Association for Science Education
and the Nuffield Foundation in their Modern Physics Reports, 1962 and 1964.
Three applications were approved this year, making a total of seven such
approvals in the Borough.
Application on form I.R.N. is required when closed sources over 10 micro
curies or any open sources are to be used, and the Principal School Medical Officer
is consulted, or, in the case of private schools, the Medical Officer of Health.
One such application was received during the year, but approval is still
pending. There are no other schools in the Borough granted such approval.
Application on form I.R.X. is required for the use of X-ray sources in which
electrons are accelerated by a potential over 5,000 volts. The only exception to
this is a T.V. receiver used in the normal way for viewing. It should be noted
that this rule would exclude the use of an induction coil to operate a discharge
tube. There are no schools in the Borough using X-ray sources.
A technical college notified the Department of Education and Science of their
use of potentials up to 25 kilovolts when servicing T.V. receivers. The Radiological
Protection Service is at present carrying out a survey at the college.
Establishments of further education and teacher training colleges need not
obtain the approval of the Secretary of State if work at " school level" only
is being performed. One technical college in the Borough falls within this category.
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