INTRODUCTION

This guide has been prepared by BRE, with assistance from the Health Protection Agency (HPA), Cornwall Council, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and contractors installing radon remedial measures. Following the guidance is not compulsory and you are free to take other action. However, if you do follow the guidance you will normally be doing enough to comply with the law. Health and safety inspectors seek to secure compliance with key aspects of the law and may refer to this guidance as illustrating good practice.

Historically, concern about the exposure of employees to radon was largely centred on people working in mines. Over the last 20 years, with increased knowledge and mapping of radon levels, attention has increasingly turned to radon exposure in buildings used for general work purposes. There is a considerable fund of information to show that employees in some buildings can receive very significant radiation doses from radon. Surveys show that levels of radon tend to be higher in buildings with small rooms, such as offices and schools, rather than larger factory and warehouse buildings. Unfortunately the nature of the work process gives no clue as to the radon hazard that may exist, and the employer may be unaware of its presence and how to deal with it.

This guide is aimed principally at employers who control buildings used for work purposes, or their representatives. It offers guidance on practical measures for reducing radon levels in workplaces. The guidance should also be of interest and assistance to those, such as surveyors and builders, concerned with specifying and carrying out the necessary remedial measures.

Advice is provided for the majority of building types and construction situations likely to be encountered in larger non-domestic buildings. For buildings where construction is similar to that found in dwellings, the guidance published by BRE and HPA on remedial measures for dwellings should be used (see Section 7, ‘Further reading'). Inevitably there will be situations where no obvious solution applies. In such cases you are advised to contact BRE for further advice.