34th ISOE Management Board Meeting: Focus on Radiological Protection and Training

The Management Board of the Information System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) convened from 3 to 5 December 2024 in Saint-Denis, France. ISOE serves as an international platform for experts to exchange knowledge and experiences aimed at improving radiological protection for workers in nuclear power plants. This year, the discussions centered on source term management and training in radiological protection.

ISOE is jointly managed by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Its annual Management Board meetings are held to establish policies, approve guidelines, and define work programmes. The Board consists of leading experts representing 77 nuclear licensees and 27 regulatory authorities from 31 countries. Representatives from the four ISOE Technical Centres (covering Asia, Europe, North America, and non-NEA member countries supported by the IAEA) and the Joint NEA/IAEA Secretariat provide support to these meetings. The 2024 meeting was hosted at EDF’s headquarters in Saint-Denis, France.

Topics and Presentations

The meeting featured two topical sessions on source term management and radiological protection training. Key presentations included:

• Actions to reduce source terms in operational nuclear power plants in China, France, Japan, and the United States;
• Characterisation of the source term at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant;
• Medical isotope production and tritium analysis in Canada and the United States;
• Education and training in radiological protection for professionals and exposed workers in nuclear power plants in France, Japan, Pakistan, and the United States;
• An introduction to the NEA International Radiological Protection School (IRPS): Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders in Radiological Protection.

National coordinators from countries such as Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Pakistan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United States presented updates on dose data and key events from 2023-2024.

Decisions and Initiatives

The Board reviewed feedback from the Technical Centres and the ISOE Secretariat on the progress of actions agreed during previous meetings. Key outcomes included:

• Endorsement of ISOE programme achievements and the performance of the Technical Centres in 2024;
• Approval of new documents and publications prepared by the Joint NEA/IAEA Secretariat;
• Support for the activity report of the Vice-Chair of the ISOE Working Group on Decommissioning (WGDECOM) and progress under its 2024-2027 work programme;
• Approval of the ISOE Programme of Work for 2025.

Further steps were discussed to expand ISOE membership, such as encouraging additional utilities and regulatory authorities to join. Initiatives to enhance the involvement of young health physicists in ISOE activities and database use were also explored.

Follow-Up Meetings

Following the Management Board meeting, a half-day session was held with the ISOE Bureau and Technical Centres. This session focused on implementing the agreed programme of work for 2025 and reviewing the outcomes of previous meetings.

The next ISOE Management Board, Bureau, and Technical Centre meetings are scheduled to take place in December 2025, hosted by the IAEA.