At the current stage of extended construction of nuclear power plants the important task consists in ensuring radiation safety of NPP personnel and local communities along with preventing radioactive contamination of the environment in excess of permissible levels regulated by radiation safety standards.

Information about radiation level at NPP, in the environment, and people exposure levels is obtained through radiation control. NPP design provides for radiation control system (RCS) intended to ensure efficient systematic and uninterrupted control of protective barrier integrity.

NPP radiation control system includes automated data measurement units and equipment that ensures their operation. The system obtains and processes data about controlled radiation parameters in the area of controlled access to NPP, at the industrial site, in the sanitary protective area, and in the supervised area in all operational modes of NPP, including design-based and off-design accidents, as well as about condition of NPP during decommissioning of power units.

Radiation control at NPP is exercised by NPP radiation control services certified in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Agency of Technical Regulation and Metrology. NPP radiation control organization (scope, frequency, control points, performers, and result record-keeping) is determined by relevant rules approved by regional directorate of the Federal Medico-Biological Agency (FMBA) of Russia. Also, regional directorates of FMBA of Russia perform independent selective radiation control of environmental facilities and foodstuff produced locally.

Based on the radiation safety principles adopted by global community, Rosenergoatom OJSC consistently conducts policy on implementation and further development of methodology on radiation protection optimization at NPPs. The methodology consists in maintaining individual exposure doses and number of exposed persons on the lowest possible levels taking into account economic and social factors.

The following measures are taken pursuant to requirements of standard documents at the NPPs:

• Keeping records of individual exposure dose for each employee throughout the year
• Keeping records of individual exposure dose for each employee throughout 5 consecutive years
• Keeping records of individual exposure dose for each employee throughout their labor activity.

Information about exposure doses is recorded in personnel’s record cards for individual exposure doses and in the electronic databases of the automated system of individual dosimetry control (ASIDC) created in Rosenergoatom OJSC.

Radiation control of the environment at the location of NPPs is exercised according to rules for radiation control taking into account the type of reactor units and particulars of their locations. The results are submitted in radiation hygienic data sheets of relevant organizations and annual reports about radiation environment at NPP locations. Radiation control is intended to confirm the absence of radiation impact of NPPs at population and environment by controlling and analyzing changes in radiation situation in the sanitary protection zone and supervised area at NPPs.

In order to ensure uninterrupted control over dosage intensity at the location of NPPs, automated radiation control system (ARCS) operates around each NPP. The system is a functional sub-system of the Unified State Automated Radiation Control System in the Russian Federation. Its main purpose consists in controlling radiation in the sanitary protection zone and supervised area at NPPs and providing information and analytical support of emergency structures, NPP management, governing agencies and state authorities of various levels in case of an accident at NPP. ARCS of all NPPs of Russia are connected through data transmission channels in an industry-wide sub-system which central control panel is located in the Rosenergoatom’s Crisis Center. From here, data are submitted to the industry-specific system of Rosatom State Corporation.

ARCS stands located in populated areas within the NPP supervised zone are equipped with information panel displaying data about dose intensity at the location. Radiation data is also available on the Rosenergoatom’s website at http://www.russianatom.ru both in real-time mode and as archived data for the previous time.

Thanks to focused organizational and technical efforts at NPPs personnel’s radiation exposure is steadily decreasing.