Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1988, published 75th ILC session (1988)

Radiation Protection Convention, 1960 (No. 115) - France (Ratification: 1971)

The Committee notes with interest the adoption of Decree No. 86-1103 of 2 October 1986 regarding the protection of workers against the risks of ionising radiation. It requests the Government to provide additional information on the following points in its next report.

Article 2, paragraph 1, of the Convention. The Committee notes that section 17(IV) of Decree No. 86-1103 provides for the supervision of measures of protection against ionising radiations for workers who perform work of a temporary nature outside the undertaking. However, this section does not appear to ensure the protection of workers employed by undertakings having no radiation sources but whose work involves entering on a temporary basis establishments where they may be directly or indirectly exposed to ionising radiations (for example maintenance workers, demolition workers and plumbers). The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate in its next report the measures taken or envisaged to ensure the protection of the above-mentioned workers, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention. Please specify the manner in which maximum permissible dose levels are enforced for such workers in accordance with Article 11 of the Convention.

Article 3, paragraph 1, and Article 6, paragraph 2. The Committee notes that Decree No. 86-1103 does not apply to nuclear installations and that section 3, paragraph 2, of Decree No. 75-306 of 28.4.1975 concerning the protection of workers against risks of ionising radiations in nuclear installations refers to the maximum admissible exposure levels set out in Decree No. 67-228 of 15.3.1967. Decree No. 67-228 uses the formula D = 5 (N - 18) in rems, to fix the maximum permissible exposure level. The Committee would point out that this formula is not consistent with current knowledge, and that the maximum exposure limit currently recommended by the International Commission of Radiological Protection is an annual dose of 5 rems, which is the limit fixed by Decree No. 86-1106. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate in its next report the measures which have been taken or are envisaged to apply to workers in nuclear installations maximum admissible dose levels consistent with current knowledge, in accordance with Article 3, paragraph 1, and Article 6, paragraph 2, of the Convention.

Article 8. The Committee notes that section 3 of Decree No. 86-1103 provides for the classification of workers on the basis of their annual dose levels of exposure. Please indicate whether the levels used for this classification become exposure limits for the workers concerned once they have accordingly been classified.