Practical implementation of ICRP recommendations

This paper describes how the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) are transmitted to the government of the UK and the scrutiny which they undergo in that process. The essential features of any legislation, namely clarity and enforceability, are identified, as is the part played by consultation with persons affected. The practical outcome in terms of regulations and codes of practice is described in general terms and specific examples are taken from the regulations and codes, showing how the principal aspects of ICRP recommendations bearing on radiation risks have been incorporated. It is argued that the value of ICRP recommendations to the drafter of legislation is their general acceptability, giving a firm basis for requirements, against which too frequent and too positive detailed recommendations provide an unfortunate offset.