Facilities for the extraction, treatment, storage and distribution of water are among the workplaces where increased radon concentrations are to be expected due to special exposure conditions. In order to reduce the health risk from radon at these workplaces, operators of water supply facilities are obliged to measure the radon concentration. If the radon concentration is above the reference value of 300 Bq/m³, protective measures must be taken for employees.

Your company falls within the scope of the Radiation Protection Act 2020 and the Radon Protection Ordinance if workplaces are located in facilities for the extraction, treatment, storage and distribution of water in which radon can escape from the water into the indoor air of parts of the facility.

If this is the case, you are obliged to carry out a radon measurement at the affected workplaces. The aim of the radon measurement is to check whether the reference value for the radon concentration at the workplace is complied with in all relevant work areas.

• Installations for the production, treatment, storage and distribution of water, provided that the quantity of water discharged does not exceed 10 cubic meters of water per day
• Installations for the production, treatment, storage and distribution of water where no employee spends more than 50 hours per year in parts of the installation where radon can escape from the water into the indoor air

If at least one exemption requirement applies to all workplaces, you must notify your competent radiation protection authority in writing. The competent authority is the provincial governor, represented by the respective provincial government office. This eliminates any further obligations.

According to the Radon Protection Ordinance , radon measurementsmust be carried out by an authorized monitoring body for a period of at least two months. Here you will find a list of authorized monitoring bodies in accordance with the Radiation Protection Act 2020 . The authorized monitoring body you have commissioned will inform you about what needs to be observed when measuring radon.

The aim of this measurement is to check whether the reference value for the radon concentration in the workplace is complied with in all relevant work areas. The reference value for the radon concentration in the workplace is 300 becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m³).

Note: The radon measurement must be carried out at all workplaces where radon can escape from the water into the indoor air of system components. This is particularly the case in rooms with open water surfaces. However, it can also affect rooms that do not have an open water surface themselves, but where there is a spatial connection to other parts of the system with an open water surface.

If the radon concentration determined at all workplaces is below the reference value of 300 Bq/m³, no further measures are necessary.

Note: Structural changes to the building can lead to an increase in the radon concentration. A new radon measurement is therefore necessary after relevant structural changes have been made. These changes are described in more detail in Annex 4 of the Radon Protection Ordinance.

Result above the reference value: You can find more information here