An analysis of radon levels in the basements of UK workplaces and review of when employers should test

Radon is a recognised lung carcinogen. The main source of radon in UK buildings is the ground. As
basements have more ground contact than other parts of a building, and often limited ventilation,
there is increased potential for high radon levels to occur. Regulations are in place in the UK to
control radon exposure at work, to prompt employers to undertake risk assessments, test where
necessary and take action if levels exceed certain thresholds. Both Public Health England (PHE) and
the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) currently advise employers to test routinely occupied
basements for radon, irrespective of geographical location; the minimum annual occupancy threshold
has been established as one hour per week (approximately 50 h per year). PHE operates a routine
measurement service for employers and holds the measurement data for radon levels in the basements
of more than 3500 workplaces. Typically, radon concentrations follow a lognormal distribution over a
wide range, when ...

Source: Journal of Radiological Protection - January 29, 2018 Category: Physics Authors: Tracy D Gooding Source Type: research