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U.S. Department of Energy POLICY DOE P 441.1
Washington, D.C. 4-26-96

SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RADIOLOGICAL
HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY

1. PURPOSE. To establish the Department of Energy's Radiological Health and Safety
Policy as a basis for the Department's radiological control programs.

2. SCOPE. The provisions of this directive apply to all departmental elements involved in
radiological operations, except the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, which is separately
covered under Executive Order 12344, Public Law 98-525 (42 U.S. Code 7158, Note).

3. POLICY. It is the policy of the Department of Energy to conduct its radiological
operations in a manner that ensures the health and safety of all its employees, contractors,
and the general public. In achieving this objective, the Department shall ensure that
radiation exposures to its workers and the public and releases of radioactivity to the
environment are maintained below regulatory limits and deliberate efforts are taken to
further reduce exposures and releases as low as reasonably achievable. The Department is
fully committed to implementing a radiological control program of the highest quality that
consistently reflects this policy.

In meeting this policy, the Department shall:

A. Establish and maintain a system of regulatory policy and guidance reflective of
national and international radiation protection standards and
recommendations. The Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health has
responsibility for promulgating and maintaining policies, standards, and guidance
related to radiological protection. Departmental radiological protection requirements
are, at a minimum, consistent with the presidentially approved "Radiation Protection
Guidance to the Federal Agencies for Occupational Exposure," which was developed
by the Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with its mandated Federal
guidance responsibilities. Departmental requirements often are more stringent and
reflect, as appropriate, recommendations and guidance from various national and
international standards-setting and scientific organizations, including the International
Commission on Radiological Protection, the National Council on Radiation
Protection and Measurements, the American National Standards Institute, and others.
Departmental requirements related to radiological protection will be set forth, as
appropriate, in rules and Department of Energy orders, and guidance documents will
be issued on acceptable means to implement these requirements.

DISTRIBUTION: INITIATED BY:
All Departmental Elements Office of the Secretary

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4-26-96

B. Ensure personnel responsible for performing radiological work activities are
appropriately trained. Standards shall be established to ensure the technical
competency of the Department's workforce, as appropriate, through implementation
of radiological training and professional development programs.

C. Ensure the technical competence of personnel responsible for implementing and
overseeing the radiological control program. An appropriate level of technical
competence gained through education, experience, and job-related technical and
professional training is a critical component for achieving the goals of the
Department's radiological control policy. Qualification requirements commensurate
with this objective shall be established for technical and professional radiological
control program positions and shall, at a minimum, be consistent with applicable
industry standards and promote professional development and excellence in
radiological performance as goals.

D. Establish and maintain, at all levels, line management involvement and
accountability for departmental radiological performance. The responsibility for
compliance with departmental radiological protection requirements, and for
minimizing personnel radiation exposure, starts at the worker level and broadens as it
progresses upward through the line organization. The Department's line managers
are fully responsible for radiological performance within their programs and the field
activities and sites assigned to them, and shall take necessary actions to ensure
requirements are implemented and performance is monitored and corrected as
necessary.

E. Ensure radiological measurements, analyses, worker monitoring results and
estimates of public exposures are accurate and appropriately made. The
capability to accurately measure and analyze radioactive materials and workplace
conditions, and determine personnel radiation exposure, is fundamental to the safe
conduct of radiological operations. Policy, guidance, and quality control programs
shall be directed toward ensuring such measurements are appropriate, accurate, and
based upon sound technical practices.

F. Conduct radiological operations in a manner that controls the spread of
radioactive materials and reduces exposure to the workforce and the general
public and that utilizes a process that seeks exposure levels as low as reasonably
achievable. Radiological operations and activities shall be preplanned to allow for
the effective implementation of dose and contamination reduction and control
measures. Operations and activities shall be performed in accordance with
departmental conduct of operations requirements and shall include reasonable
controls directed toward reducing exposure, preventing the spread of radiological
contamination, and minimizing the generation of contaminated wastes and the release
of effluents.

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G. Incorporate dose reduction, contamination reduction, and waste minimization
features into the design of new facilities and significant modifications to existing
facilities in the earliest planning stages. Wherever possible, facility design features
shall be directed toward controlling contamination at the source, eliminating airborne
radioactivity, maintaining personnel exposure and effluent releases below regulatory
limits, and utilizing a process that seeks exposure levels and releases as low as
reasonably achievable. Radiological design criteria shall reflect appropriate
consensus recommendations of national and international standards setting groups.

H. Conduct oversight to ensure departmental requirements are being complied
with and appropriate radiological work practices are being implemented.

All departmental elements shall conduct their radiological operations in a manner
consistent with the above policies and objectives.

HAZEL R. O'LEARY
Secretary of Energy