Radon in the Workplace

What are the requirements of workplaces?

Unless you have already done so, health and safety legislation requires you to assess the radon risk in your workplace. Firstly you will need to establish whether your business premises are situated in a radon Affected Area. Within Pembrokeshire, almost the whole county is a designated Affected Area. Employers who only occupy the first floors of a building and above are unlikely to have a significant radon level, employers who use cellars, basements and poorly ventilated ground floor rooms are far more likely to have problems with high levels.

The Health Protection Agency advocates five essential steps to assist employers in meeting their obligation, these are as follows:

• Measurement
• take measurements wherever employees are employed in radon affected areas
• Surveillance
• ensure regular monitoring of levels, employees health and mitigation measures in place
• Risk Assessment
• carry out a risk assessment of the potential risk to employees and others that may enter the premises
• Mitigation
• necessary works to be completed within 6 months
• Maintenance
• regular maintenance to ensure control system is effective