New Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials training course

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has just launched a new e-Learning training course onNaturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). The course is free of charge, and is designed for Project Managers and scientists working in NORM industry and academics or industrial researchers working on NORM. This course provides an introduction to NORM, the industries where it might be encountered, how it can be measured and how the NORM industry is regulated.

Main objectives

• To introduce the concepts of radioactivity, its occurrence in the environment and radiation dose, providing understanding of the nature of the hazard posed by NORM
• To explain the various ways in which radioactivity can be measured, and help identify suitable methods and instruments for their situation
• To provide examples of the occurrence of NORM in specific industries, and enhance understanding of the activity levels potentially present in given materials
• To provide a basic understanding of legislative requirements to aid in compliance with the law

Learning objectives

• Understand the concepts of radioactive decay and decay series, the natural occurrence of radioactivity and radiation dose
• Understand the range of measurement devices available and the basic physics of radiation detection
• Understand the processes of sampling and of evaluating the uncertainty on a measurement
• Gain an appreciation of where NORM can arise in industrial situations and the activity levels likely to be encountered
• Understand the recommendations of the ICRP and the requirements of the IAEA regarding NORM
• Understand EU radiation protection legislation

A basic grounding in physics or chemistry is assumed.

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