Fachverband für Strahlenschutz e.V.
German-Swiss Society for Radiation Protection (FS)
Member of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA)
What is Radiation Protection Culture
and why do we care for it?
Rolf Michel
Zentrum für Strahlenschutz und Radioökologie
Leibniz Universität Hannover
1st IRPA Workshop on RP Culture organized by SFRP
ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Paris, DecemberR.14Michel,
– 15, 2009
FS/ÖVS/SFRP Workshop on
Radiation Protection
Strasbourg, May 19/20, 2009
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
What is culture?
Etymologically, the word „culture“ has its roots in the latin colere
(„cultivate“, „reclaim land“, „educate“).
Today’s definition of culture was strongly influenced by the
American anthropologist Edward Tylor, who gave a first definition of
culture in 1873 on the basis of Darwin’s evolutionary theory guided
by the knowledge of the natural sciences:
"Culture or civilization, taken in its wide ethnographic sense, is that
complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law,
custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a
member of society."
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Culture and the struggle for life
Albert Schweitzer defined culture in the context of the struggle of
humans for life by connecting culture with the ethical will-to-live:
„The struggle for life is a double one. Man has to stand up to nature
and among and against humans. A lowering of the struggle for life is
achieved by spreading the rule of reason over nature and over the
human, stinky nature in the widest and most advantageous way.
Culture is therefore twofold in its essence. It actualizes in the
mastery of reason over the natural forces and over the human
attitudes.”
A. Schweitzer, Kultur und Ethik
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
The rationale of culture emerges
from the will-to-live.
 The concept which makes the development of culture understandable
and which clearly defines the term contrasts culture to nature.
 Culture is defined as everything what humans by themselves change and
create, while the term nature comprises all that is as it is by itself. Man is
living in a natural environment which is hostile to life.
 The struggle for the natural resources and for survival is a continuous
on. In spite of the hopelessness of this struggle, culture ensures the
transfer of these capabilities to future generations.
 The rationale of culture emerges from the will-to-live.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
The normative aspect of culture
The term culture is, however, not only used in a descriptive way, but
also in a normative sense. In this sense culture describes not
only what it represents, but also what should be.
Frequently, moral and ethical standards are connected with the
term culture.
Here, the difficulty arises that different cultures have different
perceptions about moral and ethical standards.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Culture
and the fundamental law of anthropology
 In any case, human societies depend on cultural skills for their
survival and satisfaction of needs.
 In order to make them available to future generations, each
generation has to bequeath its practices, standards, creations,
languages, and institutions to the next generation.
 This building-a-tradition is to be found in all human societies as
a fundamental law of anthropology.
 The need for creating culture always arises in an area of human
activity where human actions are connected with potential loss
or gain.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
RP Culture: a process with four aspects
categorical
and practical:
requirements and standards,
systems and organization,
practical embodiment and behavior.
content:
attitudes, beliefs,
perceptions, values, goals.
societal:
society as culture-bearer,
perception: internal and external.
heritage and future:
bequeathing the culture to others,
nurturing and fostering the culture,
conveying tradition and historical
awareness.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Why a culture of radiation protection?
Since we need it for survival!
The need for radiation protection arises from the knowledge about the
harmful actions of ionizing radiation. Radiation protection lives with the
conflict that radioactivity and ionizing radiation have harmful effects, on the
one hand, and can be used to the benefit of man and environment, on the
other.
With respect to the applications, people think most frequently of nuclear
energy industry and medicine. It has to be emphasized, however, that the
applications of radioactivity and ionizing radiation extend by far beyond
these – admittedly important – fields of application.
Further, it must be emphasized that radioactivity and ionizing radiation are
omnipresent phenomena of our “hostile” environment; also here we need
radiation protection.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
The construction of radiation protection
is a cultural achievement.
Considerable progress was
achieved in the past 60 years in
all areas of radiation protection:




in research,
in medicine,
in nuclear industry,
In conventional industries,
 radiation sources,
 radioactive tracers,
 NORM,
 TENORM.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Motivation
 Although there are is a need and a potential to improve radiation
protection in various areas, it is necessary to maintain the
achieved degree of protection.
 For this purpose, it is necessary to bequeath the cultural
achievements of radiation protection to the next generation.
 This is mandatory, since insufficient radiation protection has the
consequence of unnecessary radiation exposures, unnecessary
risks and loss of credibility independent where on earth it
happens.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Safety culture
 Historically, the trend around safety culture originated after
Chernobyl brought attention to the importance of safety culture and
the impact of managerial and human factors on the outcome of
safety performance.
 The term ‘safety culture’ was first used in INSAG’s ‘Summary
Report on the Post-Accident Review Meeting on the Chernobyl
Accident’.
 This concept was introduced as a means of explaining how the lack
of knowledge and understanding of risk and safety by the
employees and organization contributed to the outcome of the
disaster.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Safety culture
Advisory Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (ACSNI)
describes safety culture as :
“The safety culture of an organization is the product of
individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions,
competencies and patterns of behaviour that determine
the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an
organization’s health and safety management.”
The Culture of Radiation Protection can be regarded as part of the
general industrial safety culture. But it extends far beyond that since
radioactivity and radiation require radiation protection in medicine,
research and in daily life. The Culture of Radiation Protection must
offer a consistent system for all fields of application .
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
What is a culture of radiation protection?
A first attempt of a definition:
The term “radiation protection culture” describes the
way in which radiation protection is regulated,
managed, performed, preserved, and perceived in the
workplace, in medicine, and every day’s life and reflects
"the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, goals, and values
that employees, practitioners, regulators, and society
share in relation to radiation protection".
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
The fundamental concept
of radiation protection
From this results the fundamental concept of radiation protection,
 to protect humans and the environment from the dangers of
ionizing radiation,
 to minimize the consequences of their applications, and
 to provide a basis that human actions cause more good than harm.
This concept has a normative character and, consequently, the ethics
of radiation protection and the Culture of Radiation Protection
become an inseparable unity.
The IRPA Code of Ethics
is one important building block of this ethics.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Basic attitudes in radiation protection
 Radiation protection should be based on scientific knowledge.
 Just a few fundamental principles are sufficient to construct the
system of radiation protection.
 The three fundamental pillars of radiation protection are
- the principle of justification,
- the principle of optimization, and
- the principle of limitation.
Two further principles have emerged recently as categorical
principles of action and have received fundamental
importance in radiation protection:
- the
principle of sustainability and
- the precautionary principle.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Beliefs
From these principles result the beliefs of radiation protection,
that an adequate radiation protection enables us to peacefully
use radioactivity and ionizing radiation to the benefit of man
and environment and at the same time to avoid deterministic
effects and to minimize stochastic effects as low as
reasonably achievable.
This is considered as reasonable in all exposure situations: in
planned ones, existing ones, and in emergencies.
Radiation protection must be prepared to cope with the
consequences of military and malicious use and to minimize
detriment and risk resulting from such exposure situations as
far as possible.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Beliefs
Considering the development of our state of knowledge
and facing a continuous increase of the applications of
radioactivity and ionizing radiation, the belief arises that
it is necessary to continuously develop and improve
radiation protection with the goal to minimize radiation
exposures and the resulting risks in a continuous
ALARA-process as low as reasonably achievable.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Perception
From this results the perception, that a strictly scientific basis should
be used to quantify and appraise radiation exposures and their
resulting detriments and risks.
The Culture of Radiation Protection has to contain therefore also
epistemological aspects how scientific knowledge has to be achieved
and valued. This comprises the system of peer-review of scientific
investigations and – in view of the large variability of natural and, in
particular, of biological systems – also a hierarchic procedure to
proceed from scientific hints to assured scientific knowledge
In this process, the uncertainty of human knowledge is an important
aspect and it is mandatory that the Culture of Radiation Protection
includes „inference under uncertainty“ and provides guidance how to
deal with outsider opinions.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Values of radiation protection
The discussion about the values of radiation protection is still at the
beginning. This is not least due to the fact that different professions
and groups in society exhibit different value systems and that
questions regarding common grounds have to be discussed.
Keywords:
multidisciplinary competence, sense of responsibility, honesty,
transparency and openness, proactive actions, vigilance, risk
awareness, fairness (e.g. to take into account not only mean
exposures but also reducing exposures for the most exposed
persons, equal treatment of permanent company staff and temporal
agency-hired staff), self-criticism (inspections, audits and
benchmarking), forgiving systems, no hard and fast systems,
willingness to exchange information in order to avoid repetition
mistakes at other places.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
The goal is clear:
 To protect man and environment against the harmful action of of
ionizing radiation and to provide a basis for safe applications of
radioactivity and ionizing radiation to the benefit of man and
environment.
 This means in clear text to exclude deterministic effects and to
minimize stochastic effects taking into account economic and
social factors as well as the circumstances of the individual case.
 It should be an overarching goal of a Culture of Radiation
Protection to integrate radiation protection in a comprehensive
system of risk management and to improve and further develop
this system continuously.
 To this end it is needed to take into account all types of risks at an
early stage and at low levels to achieve a global risk management
in cooperation of all players despite all necessary specialisation
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
The categorical and practical aspects of a
Culture of Radiation Protection
How should a Culture of Radiation Protection be lived and how can
subject matters be made practical?
That means, how radiation protection is
 regulated,
 managed, and
 put into practise.
 One can refer to a well-established concept of safety culture.
 As a result of the FS/ÖVS/SFRP workshop a scheme of a temporal
and qualitative development was established which already has
been applied successfully by companies and professional
societies.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
injury rate
na
tu
ra
l in
st
in
ct
rules
radiation protection culture
su
pe
rvi
sio
n
systems
behavior
se l f
teams
radiation protection
reactive
dependent
independent
interdependent
• safety by natural instinct
• compliance id the goal
• delegation to safety
manager
• lack of management
support
• management commitment
• fear, discipline
• rules and regulations
• supervisor control with
emphasis and goals
• training
• value people
• personal knowledge,
commitment and standards
• internationalization
• personal values
• care for self
• practice, habits
• individual recognition
• help others to conform
• other‘s keepers
• Networking contributor
• care for others
• confidence
• organizational pride
time
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
injury rate
na
tu
ra
l in
st
in
ct
rules
radiation protection culture
su
pe
rvi
sio
n
systems
behavior
se l f
teams
radiation protection
zero
victims
?
reactive
dependent
independent
interdependent
• safety by natural instinct
• compliance id the goal
• delegation to safety
manager
• lack of management
support
• management commitment
• fear, discipline
• rules and regulations
• supervisor control with
emphasis and goals
• training
• value people
• personal knowledge,
commitment and standards
• internationalization
• personal values
• care for self
• practice, habits
• individual recognition
• help others to conform
• other‘s keepers
• Networking contributor
• care for others
• confidence
• organizational pride
time
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Step ladder
to a mature radiation protection culture
cu
Level 5
continually
improving
re
u
lt
n
io
t
ec
t
o
pr
y
c
n
en
tio
t
a
is
di
s
a
r
on
g
c
in
v
ng
i
o
Level 3
as
pr
e
r
m
I
c
involving
In
Level 2
managing
Level 1
emerging
Level 4
cooperating
develop consistency
and fight complacency
engage all staff to develop cooperation
and commitment to improve safety
involve frontline staff and
develop personal responsibility
management commitment
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
The players
In order to practically implement and keep alive a likewise scientifictechnical and normative culture, it must be accepted by all players,
valued, lived and imparted to later generations.
Due to the wide range of applications of radiation protection in
practically all areas of life, the players comprise professionals as well
as various members of the general society.
The professional players are not only real persons, reaching from
experts, regulators and governmental office-bearers and
practitioners to the general work force, but also legal entities such as
companies, institutions, societies and associations and
commissions.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
The list of non-professional players in the
general society is even larger.
 politicians,
 entrepreneurs and share-holder,
 non-governmental organisations and pressure groups,
 stakeholders and lobbyists,
 associations and societies, which are not engaged in
radiation protection,
 groupings and parties,
 professional associations,
 patients,
 the media,
 schools, universities and other training schools, and
 the members of the general public.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
The normative aspect
of a cultural code of conduct
The IRPA paper to be elaborated will have to cover the
roles of all the different players in radiation protection. It
will have to formulate general requirements, emphasize
the problems already recognized and elaborate the
normative aspects of a cultural code of conduct.
Then one can proceed from the players to the activities,
which have been addressed in the definition of the
Culture of Radiation Protection “the way in which
radiation protection is regulated, managed, performed,
preserved, and perceived in the workplace, in medicine,
and every day’s life”.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Perception of radiation protection
in the general public
 The reality of the perception of radiation protection in the general
public is a disaster
 The topics of radiation protection are of high actuality in the
general public.
 Radiation protection topics are frequently addressed and exploited
by various players in society to pursue their own – not radiation
protection specific – intentions, purposes, and goals.
 Frequently, they do not flinch from making false statements, which
are scientifically not justified.
 This led to a widely negative perception of radiation protection in
the public.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Causal research
In the causal research about this situation we simply could let of
steam with all our prejudices and platitudes about politicians,
companies and share-holders, stakeholders and lobbyists, parties,
non-governmental
organisations,
pressure
groups,
nonprofessionals, patients, media, schools, universities and other
training institutions and the general public.
But, in spite of the fact that there is always some truth in a prejudice
or in a platitude, some general and particularly annoying aspects
shall be touched on, which reveal some important problems of the
public perception of radiation protection.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Causal research
The presentation of radiation protection issues in the
media is characteristic for the perception of radiation
protection in our society.
This presentation frequently testifies to outrageous
irresponsibility when dealing with scientific findings.
Some examples :
a media disaster.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Chernobyl
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz University Hannover
Stimmen der Medien zu Chernobyl
„... 800 000 children are affected by Chernobyl which is likened to a
past time nuclear attack“ Reuters: London, October 13, 1995
„... impact of the accident is comparable to that of the Second World War ...“
UNESCO, Man and the Biosphere Series, Vol. 16
„... about 9 million people affected ... …400 000 forced to leave their homes
with only their clothes on their backs ... … 800 000 men worked inside the
reactor for no more than 90 seconds ...“ UN Dept. of Humanitarian Affairs,
DHA News, No. 16, Sep./Oct. 1995
„... 1 million children had been severely deformed ...“ „Igor – child of
Chernobyl“, British TV documentary
„... 3,2 million people are victims of the accident, including 1 million children
...“ „... over 125 000 have already died ...“ UNIAR news agency, Kiev 23
December, 1995
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz University Hannover
Public opinion
German radio NDR 3 at the 50ties anniversary
of the Hiroshima bombing:
250 000 late effect deaths in Hiroshima
due to radioactive radiation.
German TV ARD News on August 6, 2008:
"... even today thousands of Japanese die annually from
the late effects of atomic radiation ...".
Epidemiology until 2000*
1950 – 2000 additional cases of leucemia:
93
additional cases of solid tumors: 479
* Preston et al., Radiation Res. 162 (2004) 377-389
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz University Hannover
The ultimate complication for the
perception of radioactivity and
radiation:
 One can not see it, smell it, taste it, and
feel it.
 They can award man destructive power.
 Their effects can be stochastic.
Therefore, radioactivity and radiation
touch rimal fears
of man.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Prometheus delivered
the fire to man.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
In return he
was heavily
punished by
the gods …
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
… and the humans got
Pandora‘s box.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
The problem is not restricted
to radioactivity and radiation.
genetics
medicine
telecommunication
biology
nuclear energy
chemistry
physics
chemicals
tools
fire
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Januskopf
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
How people deal with risks and chances usually is
not rational. …
… but is widely governed by archetypal
predefinitions.
Symbols deeply buried in our subconscious triumph
over the facts.
The right part of our brains wins over the left
one.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Archetypes:
pioneers, bureaucrats and sectarians
S. Prêtre, ISBN-Nr.3-9520289-2-4
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Culture of Radiation Protection for survival
Summarizing the perception of radiation protection in
society one may conclude that we need a Culture of
Radiation Protection for survival and in order not to fall
back into medieval times where anxiety and beliefs were
ruling and where scientific inference was rewarded by
being burnt at the stake.
It will be a long way to establish a Culture of Radiation
Protection and to make of the culture of the society.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
The clash of cultures
S. Prêtre, ISBN-Nr.3-9520289-2-4
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Continuous development
The aspect of continuous development of human
knowledge and of conclusions to be drawn is a prerequisite
for any cultural achievement.
Culture is not a stationary state, it must be a process.
Self-satisfying, stagnating cultures die out.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Man is living in a natural environment
which is hostile to life.
The struggle for life resources and survival has to go on forever and
yet all humans will loose.
The dream of the best of all possible worlds in which man can live in
harmony with nature and technique, in which he does not leave any
traces of change and in which he can live without risk, is an non
realistic culture-optimistic approach.
Albert Schweitzer tightly connected the definition of culture to the
will-to-live. Culture is consequently an expression of acceptance of
life and appreciation for life.
Cultural achievements made humans what they are today. Some of
us may complain about it.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
We need radiation protection
as a cultural achievement.
However, this should not be a reason not to take care of our garden
and to do the necessary things.
Radioactivity and ionizing radiation are omnipresent phenomena of
nature.
The applications of radioactivity and ionizing radiation exist and
increase.
Therefore, we need a Culture of Radiation Protection.
We need it for survival and as a part of the efforts to make this world
a world worth for humans to live in!
Not to act is not a solution.
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Culture means recognition of reality
Pangloss:
All events are chained to each other
in the best of all possible worlds …
Candide:
That is well spoken, but we have to cultivate our garden.
The End
Voltaire, Candide (1759)
R. Michel, ZSR, Leibniz Universität Hannover