Education and training are the two basic pillars of any policy regarding safety in the workplace. Practitioners who work with radiation sources will have a wide range of responsibilities and objectives depending on the radiation practice, but all will have a triple common need:
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A basic education as well as specific training providing the required level of understanding of artificial and natural radiation and its management,
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Standards for the recognition of skills and experience,
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An opportunity to refresh, update and test acquired knowledge and competence on a regular basis.
International meetings, publications and recommendations covering safety culture in the field of radiological protection increasingly stress the need for education and training. In addition, compliance with the requirements of specific European directives and the international basic safety standards is crucial in a world of dynamic markets and increasing workers’ mobility, and common approaches to training facilitate the understanding of these requirements.
Four international meetings on education and training in radiological protection have already been organised. These meetings focused on benchmarking current experiences and practices and introduced a harmonised approach to education and training at the European level. The first meeting was held in Saclay (France) in 1999, the second took place in Madrid (Spain) in 2003, the third in Brussels (Belgium) in 2005 and the fourth 2009 in Lisbon (Portugal).
In order to build further on what has been achieved up to now, the Seibersdorf Laboratories and the European Nuclear Society are organising the 5th international conference on education and training in radiological protection, ETRAP2013, in Vienna from 12 - 15 March 2013.
Attendance
The conference intends to address the largest potential audience, covering policy makers, the medical sector, industrial radiographers, NORM experts, the engineering sector, the non-nuclear industry, social sciences researchers, safety experts, radiation protection experts, radiation protection officers, medical physics experts, regulators and authorities. Furthermore, it aims to reinforce the contacts between various organisations, individuals and networks dealing with education and training policies in radiological protection. Special attention will also be paid to attracting and inviting young professionals to ensure knowledge transfer and to help build the future of radiological protection.
ETRAP 2009 in Lisbon, Portugal
