Ionising Radiations Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 No. 375

SCHEDULE 4 Dose Limits

Part I Classes of person to whom dose limits apply

Employees of 18 years or above

1.  For the purposes of regulation 11(1), the limit on effective dose for any employee of 18 years or above shall be 20 mSv in any calendar year.

2.  Without prejudice to paragraph 1—

(a) the limit on equivalent dose for the lens of the eye shall be 150 mSv in a calendar year;

(b) the limit on equivalent dose for the skin shall be 500 mSv in a calendar year as applied to the dose averaged over any area of 1cm² regardless of the area exposed;

(c) the limit on equivalent dose for the hands, forearms, feet and ankles shall be 500 mSv in a calendar year.

Trainees aged under 18 years

3.  For the purposes of regulation 11(1), the limit on effective dose for any trainee under 18 years shall be 6 mSv in any calendar year.

4.  Without prejudice to paragraph 3—

(a) the limit on equivalent dose for the lens of the eye shall be 50 mSv in a calendar year;

(b) the limit on equivalent dose for the skin shall be 150 mSv in a calendar year as applied to the dose averaged over any area of 1cm² regardless of the area exposed;

(c) the limit on equivalent dose for the hands, forearms, feet and ankles shall be 150 mSv in a calendar year.

Women of reproductive capacity

5.  Without prejudice to paragraphs 1 and 3, the limit on equivalent dose for the abdomen of a woman of reproductive capacity who is at work, being the equivalent dose from external radiation resulting from exposure to ionising radiation averaged throughout the abdomen, shall be 13 mSv in any consecutive period of three months.

Other persons

6.  Subject to paragraph 7, for the purposes of regulation 11(1) the limit on effective dose for any person other than an employee or trainee, including any person below the age of 16, shall be 1 mSv in any calendar year.

7.  Paragraph 6 shall not apply in relation to any person (not being a comforter or carer) who may be exposed to ionising radiation resulting from the medical exposure of another and in such a case the limit on effective dose for any such person shall be 5 mSv in any period of 5 consecutive calendar years.

8.  Without prejudice to paragraphs 6 and 7—

(a) the limit on equivalent dose for the lens of the eye shall be 15 mSv in any calendar year;

(b) the limit on equivalent dose for the skin shall be 50 mSv in any calendar year averaged over any 1cm² area of skin regardless of the area exposed;

(c) the limit on equivalent dose for the hands, forearms, feet and ankles shall be 50 mSv in a calendar year.