Before World War 2, the International X-ray and Radium Protection Committee (IXRPC), predecessor of the ICRP, was not active except for 1 day during the International Congress of Radiology (ICR) (ICRP, 2009).

During that time, the committee had no formal rules or procedures governing its meeting and as a result often faced undue pressures from national governments regarding the nationalities of members of the committee (Lindell 1996a).

During World War 2, it was not possible for the committee to meet and it wasn’t until the 1950’s that another meeting took place.

This time however, Lauriston Taylor drafted new rules and a new name for the IXRPC. IXRPC became the ICRP. The new rules were quite similar to the present day ones and regarded the subject areas that the ICRP would focus on as well as the selection of its members (ICRP, 1951).

6 sub-committees of ICRP were established.

They included:

1. Permissible dose for external radiation;
2. Permissible dose for internal radiation;
3. Protection against X rays generated at potentials up to 2 million volts;
4. Protection against X rays above 2 million volts, and β rays and γ rays;
5. Protection against heavy particles, including neutrons and protons; and
6. Disposal of radioactive wastes and handling of radioisotopes

Unfortunately, by the time the Commission met again in Copenhagen in 1953, it was clear that the amount of activities expected to be completed by the Commission was vastly greater than its ability to do so. This was made evident when no members of sub-committee 5 were able to attend the Commission meeting.

As a result, the commission decided to merge subcommittees 4 and 5 together. The new sub-committees became known as the “Roman Numeral Committees” and covered topics including:

• SC I: Permissible doses for external radiation;
• SC II: Permissible doses for internal radiation;
• SC III: Protection against X rays generated at potentials up to three million volts;
• SC IV: Protection against X rays above three million volts, b rays, c rays, and heavy particles, including neutrons and protons; and
• SC V: Handling and disposal of radioactive isotopes.

At a meeting in Stockholm in May 1962, the Commission again decided to reorganise the committee system in order to improve productivity, which had differed considerably between committees.

The five ‘Roman numeral’ committees were replaced with four committees with Arabic numerals, rather similar to the present Committees 1–4:

• C1: Radiation effects;
• C2: Internal exposure;
• C3: External exposure; and
• C4: Application of recommendations.

Since 1962, the mission statements and names of the ICRP committees have changed twice, once over the 1978-1981term and again in 1998.

In 2004, a fifth committee of the ICRP was created. The fifth committee is devoted to topics about environmental protection.

Related Content:

Committee Membership Periods

• Committee Membership 1950-1953
• Committee Membership 1953-1956
• Committee Membership 1956-1959
• Committee Membership 1959-1962
• Committee Membership 1962-1965
• Committee Membership 1965-1969
• Committee Membership 1969-1973
• Committee Membership 1973-1977
• Committee Membership 1977-1981
• Committee Membership 1981-1985
• Committee Membership 1985-1989
• Committee Membership 1989-1993
• Committee Membership 1993-1997
• Committee Membership 1997-2001
• Committee Membership 2001-2005
• Committee Membership 2005-2009
• Committee Membership 2009-2013

References

Committee 1

Committee 2

Committee 3

Committee 4

Committee 5

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Committee 4

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Sub- Committee I

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Sub- Committee V

Sub- Committee I

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Sub-Committee I

Sub- Committee II

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Sub- Committee VI