Radiation Management

ID Kruger
ID Kruger Appointed Radiation Protection Specialist

Mr ID Kruger is the owner of a privately owned company doing Consultancy work in Radiation Protection in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, and particularly at mining and minerals processing operations. He is registered as a Professional Natural Scientist (Pr.Sci.Nat.) in the field of Radiation Science through the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP). He is also recognised as a Radiation Protection Specialist by the National Nuclear Regulator, and certified as an ISO 9001 Management Systems Lead Auditor by the Southern African Auditor Training and Certification Authority (SAATCA).

Pierre Lamprecht
Pierre LamprechtRadiation Protection Officer

Pierre has been involved with NORM since 2007. He qualified and was formally appointed as a Radiation Protection Officer (RPO) in 2010. He has experience in radiation safety, the workings with mines and processing facilities. Basic tasks as part of a team:

Maintaining and implementing Quality Control System that would include:

  • Implementation of monitoring programs i.e. area and personal survey schedules, self-inspection schedules, medical surveillance schedules, etc.
  • Updating and implementation of programs and procedures
  • Dose reporting to NNR and DMRE on regular basis
  • Occurrence reporting and management
  • Waste reporting to NNR on regular basis
  • Instrument maintenance and management
  • Management reviews i.e. reporting to executive manager on radiation control status

The Radiation Team

SMM was issued COR23 Certificate of Registration by the NNR. One of the requirements of the COR is to have a radiation team available for maintaining and monitoring the effectiveness of radiation protection programmes and procedures. The Radiation Protection Team for SMM are in possession of all the required skills and training and have more than 50 year’s radiation management experience among themselves. The team consists of:

  • The Executive Manager.
  • The Radiation Protection Specialist.
  • The Radiation Protection Officers.
  • The Radiation Protection Monitors.
  • The Appointed Medical Practitioner.

The team works closely together to manage radiation risk to employees and the public through the implementation of control programs covering radiation safety aspects like:

  • Public safety,
  • Worker safety,
  • Transport safety, and
  • Waste management.

The effectiveness of a Quality Management System and Control Measures are monitored through the implementation of monitoring and survey programmes. These cover areas within the authorised site, as well as some areas surrounding the operational site:

  • Radiation exposures are measured, calculated and reported to the regulators.
  • Information reported is checked and confirmed by regulators during site visits.
  • Radiation awareness training is provided for employees and visitors.
  • A fully implemented Medical Surveillance programme ensures that employee health is constantly monitored.
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Pre-Startup Radiation Management to Current State

ACR – Submission and Approval timeline per phase. 

Pre-operational preparedness – U/G and surface

PHASE 0:
Change current status to pre-operational status.

Prepare and submit pre-operational Plant Surface and Underground Worker Safety Assessments and suite of ACR’s to NNR.

Submitted by 28 February 2024

Address NNR comments and receive approval.

4 – 6 months

ACTIVITIES

  1. Appointed permanent RPM – U/G and Surface
  2. Ordered additional instruments
  3. Adjust quantities of personal monitors (SABS and PARC RGM)
  4. Re-calibrate and serviced current instruments
  5. Sourcing administrator / RPM / Alternate RPO in training
  6. Sourcing another RPM – Surface
  7. Completed underground WSA – clean-up and refurbish
  8. Finalising surface WSA – clean-up, maintenance and refurbish
  9. Reviewing suite of documents – pre-ops phase
  10. Implementing area and personal monitoring programs – data gathering for next phases and legal compliance reporting

ACR Submission – Design & Construction

ACR – Submission and Approval timeline per phase.

Design and construction – U/G and surface

PHASE 1:
Design and construction phase

  1. Plant and mine design discussions with NNR engineers for review and approval.
  2. Plant and mine construction worker safety assessments and suite of ACRs to NNR.

Submitted by 30 April 2024

Address NNR comments and receive approval. 

6 – 8 months

ACTIVITIES

  1. Appoint second permanent RPM – Surface
  2. Order balance of instruments to prepare for production phase
  3. Expand underground WSA – include production activities.
  4. Expand surface WSA – include production activities
  5. Reviewing suite of documents – include production activities
  6. Expand area and personal monitoring program while performing tasks as approved by NNR in Phase 0.
  7. Expanded sampling and monitoring programs – gather public monitoring data for public protection documents.

ACR Submission – Production & Operational Phase

ACR – Submission and Approval timeline per phase.

Production phase – U/G and surface

PHASE 2:
Production / operational phase.

  1. Hot commissioning of 50% concentrate plant.
  2. Start bringing ROM from underground.

Submitted by 28 February 2024

Address NNR comments and receive approval.

6 – 8 months

ACTIVITIES

  1. Adjust quantities of personal monitors to accommodate additional employees (SABS and PARC RGM)
  2. Re-calibrate and serviced all instruments needed for production phase
  3. Appoint alternate RPO
  4. Complete underground WSA to include operational and production activities
  5. Finalising surface WSA to include operational and production activities
  6. Reviewing suite of documents to include operational and production activities
  7. Expanded sampling and monitoring programs – gather actual operational data to confirm pre-operational data
  8. Expanded sampling and monitoring programs – gather public monitoring data for public protection documents