Radiological Protection Ordinance (RPO) (RPO)
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Chapter 1 Principles
Art. 148
1 For existing exposure situations, a reference level of 1 mSv per calendar year applies. This is without prejudice to the radon reference level specified in Article 155 and the threshold level specified in Article 156. 2 The FOPH may recommend to the Federal Council, in individual cases, reference levels of up to 20 mSv per calendar year, in particular if measures are required in accordance with Article 171.
Chapter 2 Radiological Legacies
Section 1 Definition
Art. 149
Radiological legacies means: a. articles from past activities containing radionuclides which would be classified as radioactive material under this Ordinance; b. articles whose type licence for general or restricted use in accordance with Article 29 letter c of the RPA has expired and is not renewed; c. properties contaminated from past activities where the requirements specified in this Ordinance are not met.
Section 2 Articles
Art. 150
1 The FOPH is responsible for the disposal of radiological legacies in the form of articles. This disposal is governed in other respects by Articles 108–121. 2 Further use of these articles is permissible if a licence has been granted to this effect.
Section 3 Properties
Art. 151 Inventory of properties with possible contamination
1 The FOPH shall maintain an inventory of possibly contaminated properties and shall process the following data to this end: a. details of the property (geographical coordinates, plot number, building and substrate); b. details of earlier activities on the property, including the period; c. investigation data; d. data on the owner and the user of the property (name, address, postcode, place); e. remediation decision; f. remediation data and results of clearance measurements after remediation, including any restrictions. 2 To fulfil the responsibilities assigned to them, the staff of the FOPH Radiological Protection Division shall have electronic access to the inventory data. 3 The FOPH shall regularly inform Suva and the cantons concerned as to the status of the inventory.
Art. 152 Investigation of properties
1 The FOPH shall order an investigation of properties as specified in Article 151 if a risk to people and the environment from ionising radiation cannot be ruled out. It shall inform in advance the canton and the commune concerned. 2 The owners and users are required to grant the FOPH access to the properties concerned for the investigation. 3 The FOPH shall specify the investigation procedure. 4 It shall carry out the investigations. It may request third parties to carry out the investigations.
Art. 153 Remediation of properties
1 On the basis of the investigation, the FOPH shall estimate the effective dose to persons who may be present in the building. 2 The FOPH shall inform the persons concerned, the owner and user of the property, and the canton and commune concerned as to the results of the investigation. 3 If the dose is above the reference level as specified in Article 148 paragraph 1, the FOPH shall declare the property to be in need of remediation and shall inform the owner accordingly.
Art. 154 Exchange of information
1 The FOPH shall inform the cantons concerned as to possible radiological legacies. 2 The cantons shall inform the FOPH of planned studies, monitoring measures and remediations of contaminated sites if there is an increased likelihood that radiological legacies are present. This is the case in particular if radium-containing luminous paint was used by industry.
Chapter 3 Radon
Section 1 General Provisions
Art. 155 Radon reference level
1 The radon reference level is the radon gas concentration which, if exceeded, requires measures to be taken in accordance with Article 166. 2 For the annual average radon gas concentration in rooms where persons are regularly present for several hours per day, a radon reference level of 300 Bq/m3 applies. This is without prejudice to the provisions of Article 156.
Art. 156 Threshold level at radon-exposed workplaces
1 The threshold level at radon-exposed workplaces is the radon gas concentration which, if exceeded, requires measures to be taken in accordance with Article 167. 2 For the annual average radon gas concentration at radon-exposed workplaces, a threshold level of 1000 Bq/m3 applies. 3 Workplaces at which the threshold level is certainly or presumably exceeded are considered to be radon-exposed. These are, in particular, workplaces in underground structures, mines, caverns and water supply installations, as well as those classified as radon-exposed by the supervisory authority.
Art. 157 Radon Technical and Information Centre
1 The FOPH shall operate a Radon Technical and Information Centre. 2 The Centre shall carry out, in particular, the following tasks: regularly issuing recommendations on mitigation measures and supporting the cantons in implementation; publishing the radon map in consultation with the cantons; c. providing information and advice for the cantons, building owners, tenants, construction professionals and other interested groups; d. advising persons concerned and interested bodies on appropriate mitigation measures; e. regularly providing the cantons with an overview of buildings where measurements have been conducted; f. approving and supervising radon measurement providers in accordance with Article 159; g. establishing the scientific foundations required for the application of radon mitigation measures; h. regularly evaluating the effects of mitigation measures and making the necessary adjustments. 3 The FOPH may request third parties to provide advice in accordance with paragraph 2 let
Art. 158 Responsibility
The following are responsible for the enforcement of radon mitigation measures: a. in rooms where persons are regularly present for several hours per day (Art. 155 para. 2): 1. the cantons, 2. in the case of military buildings: the DDPS; b. at radon-exposed workplaces as specified in Article 156: the supervisory authorities.
Art. 159 Approval of radon measurement providers
1 Radon measurements must be conducted by an approved radon measurement provider in accordance with prescribed measurement protocols. 2 The FOPH shall approve a radon measurement provider if it: a. has the specialist staff and measurement system required for due fulfilment of its responsibilities; and b. can assure proper fulfilment of its responsibilities, and in particular if no conflicts of interest exist. 3 The FOPH shall grant approval for a maximum period of five years. 4 The FDJP shall specify the technical requirements for measurement systems and the methods for maintenance of measurement stability.
Art. 160 Duties of radon measurement providers
Approved radon measurement providers are required: a. to comply with the prescribed measurement protocols; b. to enter their data in the radon database within two months after the completion of measurements.
Art. 161 Radon consultants
1 Radon consultants shall support and advise clients, construction professionals, building owners and other interested parties on the implementation of preventive and remedial measures for radon mitigation according to the state of the art. 2 The FOPH shall maintain a list in which radon consultants working in Switzerland who have undergone training and continuing education in accordance with Article 183 letter c are included on request. It shall publish the list and regularly update it.
Para. 2 — The list may be consulted free of charge on the FOPH website at www.bag.admin.ch > Topics > People & health > Radiation, radioactivity & sound > Radon > Advice by radon consultants.
Art. 162 Radon database
1 The FOPH shall maintain a central radon database. In this database, it shall store the data which is required to allow continuous assessment of the implementation of measurements and remediation projects and to draw statistical and scientific conclusions. 2 The following data on individual buildings shall be stored in the central radon database: a. location (coordinates, plot number); b. Swiss federal building identifier (EGID) and dwelling identifier (EWID) in accordance with the Ordinance of 31 May 2000 on the Federal Register of Buildings and Dwellings; c. information on the premises; d. measurement data; e. remediation data; f. owner and user (name, address, postcode, place); g. year of construction. 3 The staff of the FOPH Radon Technical and Information Centre are entitled to process the data in the database. 4 To fulfil the responsibilities assigned to them, the following shall have electronic access to data in the database as specified below: a. the approved radon measurement
Para. 2 let. b — [AS 2000 1555, 2004 3367, 2005 3381, 2007 3399 6719 Annex No 7, 2012 4707. AS 2017 3459 Annex No 2 I]. See Now the O of 9 June 2017 (RS 431.841).
Section 2 Preventive Mitigation Measures and Radon
Art. 163 Radon mitigation in new buildings and building alterations
1 In the course of the permission procedure for new buildings and building alterations, the building permission authority shall, where appropriate, draw the attention of the building owner or, in the case of new buildings, the client to the requirements of this Ordinance concerning radon mitigation. 2 The building owner or, in the case of new buildings, the client shall ensure that preventive structural measures are taken in accordance with the state of the art to achieve a radon gas concentration below the reference level specified in Article 155 paragraph 2. If the current state of science and technology so requires, a radon measurement must be conducted in accordance with Article 159 paragraph 1.
Art. 164 Cantonal radon measurements
1 The canton may require the building owner to have radon measurements conducted in rooms where persons are regularly present for several hours per day. 2 The canton shall ensure that radon measurements are conducted in schools and nursery schools in accordance with Article 159 paragraph 1. 3 The canton may conduct further radon measurements. 4 In the case of military buildings, the DDPS is responsible for ordering radon measurements.
Art. 165 Radon measurementsat radon-exposed workplaces
1 Enterprises with radon-exposed workplaces shall ensure that measurements are conducted by an approved radon measurement provider in accordance with Article 159 paragraph 1. 2 The supervisory authority may conduct spot-check measurements at radon-exposed workplaces.
Section 3 Measures to Reduce Radon Exposure
Art. 166 Radon remediation
1 If the reference level specified in Article 155 paragraph 2 is exceeded, the building owner shall take the necessary remedial measures. Recommendations concerning the urgency of remedial measures shall be provided by the FOPH and the cantons. 2 If the building owner fails to take action, the canton may order radon remediation. 3 If it is determined that the reference level is exceeded at a school or nursery school, the canton shall order radon remediation within three years after the time of determination. 4 The costs of remediation shall be borne by the building owner.
Art. 167 Workplace measures
1 If the threshold level specified in Article 156 is exceeded, the enterprise must determine the annual radon-related effective dose to exposed persons and review this at least every five years. 2 If the effective dose to a person at the workplace is above 10 mSv per calendar year, the enterprise shall take organisational or technical measures to reduce the dose as rapidly as possible. 3 If, in spite of measures being taken, the effective dose to a person at the workplace is above 10 mSv per calendar year, this person is considered to be occupationally exposed. 4 The FDHA, after a hearing with Suva, shall specify how the annual radon-related effective dose is to be determined.
Chapter 4 Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material
Art. 168 Industrial sectors concerned
1 Industrial sectors involving NORM are, in particular: a. groundwater filtration facilities; b. gas production; c. geothermal energy production (deep geothermal energy); d. zircon and zirconium industry; e. cement production and maintenance of clinker ovens; f. maintenance and removal of heat-resistant zirconium alloy cladding; g. tunnelling in rock formations with elevated uranium or thorium concentrations. 2 In industrial sectors involving NORM, enterprises shall determine by means of representative measurements whether: a. the NORM clearance limit is exceeded in discharged materials; b. staff are occupationally exposed persons as defined in Article 51 paragraphs 1 and 2; c. the handling of NORM may lead to a dose for members of the public which is not negligible from a radiological protection point of view. 3 The enterprises shall submit evidence of the tests conducted in accordance with paragraph 2 and the results thereof to the FOPH. 4 The FOPH shall support the enterprises in th
Art. 169 Discharge of NORM to the environment
1 NORM with a specific activity above the relevant NORM clearance limit may, with the approval of the licensing authority, be discharged to the environment if: a. disposal via the usual channels would be impossible or would involve disproportionate effort; and b. as a result of appropriate measures, the effective dose to members of the public arising from the discharge remains below 0.3 mSv per calendar year. 2 The FOPH shall monitor compliance with the permissible effective dose via the sampling and measurement programme specified in Article 193. 3 NORM may only be exported for discharge to the environment if consent has been granted by the competent authority of the recipient country and the requirements specified in paragraph 1 are complied with.
Art. 170 Building materials
1 For building materials identified as being of concern from a radiological protection point of view, the FOPH shall, to determine public exposure, establish by means of spot checks whether the activity concentration index is greater than 1. 2 If the activity concentration index is greater than 1, the FOPH shall carry out a dose estimation to ensure that the reference level specified in Article 148 is complied with. 3 The FOPH shall inform the public of the results.
Chapter 5 Long-Term Contamination following an Eme
Art. 171
The FOPH shall prepare the long-term federal and cantonal measures for the management of effects after the transition from an emergency exposure situation to an existing exposure situation in accordance with Article 141.
