Race against radon Prosecution awaits companies that fail to get their workplaces tested for high radon gas levels. Niall Byrne reports
Some 11 companies in Kerry and Clare were left red-faced last week when news emerged they would be prosecuted for not measuring the radon levels of their workplaces. Under the Ionising Radiation Order, 2000 of the Radiological Protection Act, 1991, all companies in high radon areas are obliged to test the levels of this potentially lethal substance in their workplace. Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally when uranium breaks down in rocks and soil. It is colourless, odourless and tasteless. In open air it dissipates rapidly but in enclosed spaces it can build up and form particles upon decay, which enter the lungs of the inhabitants. Radon poisoning is estimated to be responsible for 10 to 15pc of lung cancer deaths in Ireland each year. If your workplace is in a high radon area and you are concerned about the presence of this potentially dangerous substance, your best course of action is to approach your employer and ask if a measurement has been carried out advises Olwyn Hanley, senior technician, radon management services with Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII). It is in the interest of all employersto get this done if they are in one of these areas as they face fines of up to €1,270 or 12 months imprisonment if prosecuted, so your inquiry should actually be seen in a positive light by management. The average radon level in Irish households is 89 becquerels per cubic metre of air (bq/m3). If it measures above 200bq/m3, it is advised some remedial action be taken. For businesses, it is advised to get remedial work done if the radon levels exceed 400bq/m3. To check whether your workplace is in a high radon level, there is a map available on the RPII website. High radon areas are areas where it is estimated, from a national survey conducted between 1992 and 1999, that more than 10% of households in that area have levels exceeding 200bq/m3. It is predicted 91,000 households in Ireland have levels above this, which mean its inhabitants have an increased risk (one in 50) of developing lung cancer. Given the slow response of workplaces to carry out radon measurements, it is likely the amount of workplaces affected is also extremely high.	RADON POISONING IS ESTIMATED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 10 T0 15% OF LUNG DEATHS	"Radon is an issue that employers need to take action on," said Dr Ann McGarry, chief executive of RPII, at last week's National Radon Forum. "Last year the RPII directed 60 employers in Tralee and Ennis measure radon. A number these did not comply with the direction and prosecutions are pending." Only companies in high radon areas are obliged to get their workplaces tested, but RPII recommends that all companies take the initiative and measure their radon levels, says Hanley. A quick look at the radon map shows high radon areas exist all over the country, and equally houses with high radon levels have been recorded in low radon areas. It takes three months to take an accurate measurement and involves placing small radon detectors in the workplace. For open-plan offices a detector should be fitted per 200 metres squared. "Once a direction is issued, companies have six months to comply. In this time they must carry out a radon measurement and return the result to us," says David Fenton, manager of the radon advice service, RPII. "If the levels are high, they must remediate to reduce the levels to below 400bq/m3. We give them six months to do that; if there is a very high level a shorter time frame is needed." News Article Sourced From Irish Independent 24^th November 2005 Jobs & Careers Supplement