Reactor safety
Reactor safety and radiation protection
The safety of nuclear facilities, radiation protection and the supply and disposal of radioactive materials are not just technical problems. Radiation impairs health and is not perceptible to natural sensory organs; radioactive material dies down only after very long periods. Therefore the subject of radioactivity creates fear among the public. This is why reactor safety is an extremely urgent task from a political point of view and its performance is closely and critically watched.
German nuclear facilities meet comparatively high safety requirements. Nonetheless, there is a not inconsiderable residual risk involved in the peaceful use of nuclear power. The German Federal Government has, in the revised version of 2001 of the Atomic Power Act, provided by law for the scrapping of nuclear power in Germany in consensus with the electricity industry. This raises the question as to which gender aspects should be taken into account in this field.
Radiation risks do not come only from nuclear power stations and nuclear waste facilities. Medical facilities and research institutes are also a burden on the environment. X-ray examinations contribute a great share of the annual radiation to which the population is exposed. Such exposure is different for women and men. Therefore GM is important in this field.
Radiation protection also involves the development and monitoring of stringent safety standards and information properly targeted at certain groups. Safety regulations are not gender neutral but are often oriented to medical findings which in turn use a predominantly male measuring stick. GM here compels objective nuancing. The same is true of health and safety at work regulations, which include exclusion criteria for employment and often discriminate against women. GM tools serve to make gender specific differences visible, to avoid discrimination and to minimize undesirable side effects on gender relations. The Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) has dealt with a gender impact assessment [German link] in a pilot project [German link] taking radiation protection as an example.
Here you can find a selection of gender aspects which are important in reactor safety and radiation protection.
German nuclear facilities meet comparatively high safety requirements. Nonetheless, there is a not inconsiderable residual risk involved in the peaceful use of nuclear power. The German Federal Government has, in the revised version of 2001 of the Atomic Power Act, provided by law for the scrapping of nuclear power in Germany in consensus with the electricity industry. This raises the question as to which gender aspects should be taken into account in this field.
Radiation risks do not come only from nuclear power stations and nuclear waste facilities. Medical facilities and research institutes are also a burden on the environment. X-ray examinations contribute a great share of the annual radiation to which the population is exposed. Such exposure is different for women and men. Therefore GM is important in this field.
Radiation protection also involves the development and monitoring of stringent safety standards and information properly targeted at certain groups. Safety regulations are not gender neutral but are often oriented to medical findings which in turn use a predominantly male measuring stick. GM here compels objective nuancing. The same is true of health and safety at work regulations, which include exclusion criteria for employment and often discriminate against women. GM tools serve to make gender specific differences visible, to avoid discrimination and to minimize undesirable side effects on gender relations. The Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) has dealt with a gender impact assessment [German link] in a pilot project [German link] taking radiation protection as an example.
Here you can find a selection of gender aspects which are important in reactor safety and radiation protection.
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zuletzt verändert:
02.01.2010 20:08
