IRR17: HSE Ionising Radiation Rules

Regulatory citation: Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/1075)

What Are the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017?

The Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17) protect workers and the public in Great Britain from work with ionising radiation. They apply to practices such as industrial radiography, X-ray equipment, radioactive sources and nuclear medicine. They also apply to work in air with an annual average radon-222 concentration above 300 Bq m⁻³.

Why IRR17 Matters

Ionising radiation cannot be seen or felt. High doses cause burns and radiation sickness, and lower doses raise the risk of cancer. IRR17 uses a graded system of authorisation, dose limits and monitoring to keep exposure as low as reasonably practicable.

Core Obligations

1. Notify, Register or Get Consent (regs 5–7)

Employers must notify HSE before first starting lower-risk work, register practices that need registration, and obtain consent for specified higher-risk practices. Consent is needed for practices such as industrial radiography, industrial irradiation, most accelerators, high-activity sealed sources and deliberate administration of radioactive substances to people. Employers must tell the authority immediately if the work stops or changes materially. The Office for Nuclear Regulation is the authority for certain nuclear and defence sites.

2. Assess Radiation Risks (reg 8)

Before starting a new activity, employers must make a suitable and sufficient radiation risk assessment. Work must not begin until the assessment has identified hazards that could cause a radiation accident and evaluated the risks.

3. Restrict Exposure (reg 9)

Employers must restrict exposure so far as is reasonably practicable, using engineering controls and safety features first, then safe systems of work, then PPE. Once an employee notifies a pregnancy, the dose to the fetus must be unlikely to exceed 1 mSv for the rest of the pregnancy. An employee's effective dose first exceeding 15 mSv in a calendar year, or a lower level set by the employer, must be investigated.

4. Keep Within the Dose Limits (reg 12 and Sch 3)

For employees and trainees aged 18 or over, the effective dose limit is 20 mSv per calendar year. The limit for the lens of the eye is 20 mSv a year (or 100 mSv over five consecutive years, with no more than 50 mSv in any one year, under HSE-approved conditions), and for skin and extremities 500 mSv a year. Trainees under 18 have an effective dose limit of 6 mSv a year, and other persons 1 mSv a year.

5. Consult a Radiation Protection Adviser (reg 14)

Employers must consult suitable radiation protection advisers (RPAs) to advise on compliance, and on the matters in Schedule 4. Where an RPA is appointed, the appointment must be in writing and state the scope of the advice, and the employer must give the RPA adequate information and facilities.

6. Designate Controlled and Supervised Areas (reg 17)

An area must be controlled where special procedures are needed, or where a person is likely to receive more than 6 mSv effective dose a year, 15 mSv to the eye lens, or 150 mSv to skin or extremities. It must be supervised where a person is likely to receive more than 1 mSv a year, 5 mSv to the eye lens or 50 mSv to skin or extremities.

7. Classify Workers and Record Doses (regs 21 and 22)

Employees likely to exceed the same doses as a controlled area must be designated as classified persons. They must be at least 18 and certified fit by a relevant doctor. Their doses must be assessed by an approved dosimetry service, with records kept until the person is, or would have been, 75, and for at least 30 years.

Common Compliance Approaches

Use Time, Distance and Shielding

Plan work to minimise time near sources, maximise distance and use shielding and interlocks.

Write Local Rules

Set local rules for designated areas and appoint radiation protection supervisors to make sure they are followed.

Example: IRR17 in Practice

A non-destructive testing company carries out site radiography on pipeline welds. It holds HSE consent for industrial radiography and has appointed an RPA in writing. Before each job, the team sets up a controlled area with barriers, warning signs and dose rate monitoring at the boundary. Radiographers are classified persons who wear personal dosemeters from an approved dosimetry service, and the RPA reviews dose summaries each quarter.

Related regulations: MHSWR risk assessments, PPE at Work Regulations, RIDDOR incident reporting.

Note: This summary reflects the law as it applies in Great Britain, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities. Northern Ireland has equivalent but separate legislation. Always check the current legislation and HSE guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the annual dose limit for radiation workers?

For employees and trainees aged 18 or over, the effective dose limit is 20 mSv per calendar year. The lens of the eye limit is also 20 mSv a year.

Does IRR17 apply to radon?

Yes. It applies to work in air with an annual average radon-222 concentration above 300 Bq m⁻³, although some provisions do not apply where radon is the only issue.

Who must be a classified person?

An employee likely to receive more than 6 mSv effective dose a year, more than 15 mSv to the eye lens, or more than 150 mSv to skin or extremities.