The Ins and Outs of Keeping Radioactive Materials in your School

Last year a private school was fined £50,000 by the HSE for exposing students and staff to radioactive radon gas. School Trustees pleaded guilty for a failure to monitor radon levels at the school for more than eight years.

Practical experiments significantly improve the teaching of radiation properties in schools and play a crucial role in enhancing students' comprehension of the subject, but this case highlights the importance of their management and monitoring at schools and Trusts.

During this session, we will cover some of the main things to look out for when it comes to using radioactive materials in a science department.

During the session we will be looking at:

• The law governing radioactive materials in science.
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  What paperwork is required and what should be in a radiation folder? What have the HSE been asking for when completing inspections?
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  The arrangements that need to be in place on-site, i.e., training, notification, procedures, and safety talks.
• How do we complete and make sure storage arrangements are suitable.

Let us introduce you to this week's professional speaker

Jonathan comes from an education background having worked as a senior science technician in a large secondary school for 8 years. He led H&S matters for the science department from training to servicing along with whole school and Trust responsibilities. At Judicium, his specialty is science provision within schools, creating various documents and running CPD training to assist schools. Outside of work, he enjoys helping at youth clubs and playing in a band. To relax, Jonathan says nothing beats a good board game (except monopoly).