ICRP Activities

This page describes progress in terms of published documents, documents in preparation, meetings, and work of the ICRP secretariat.

1. Overview

The Recommendations and Advice of the International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP, are its raison d’être; the Commission exists in order to produce recommendations and supporting advice. The success of ICRP over the last 70 years depends entirely on the fact that its recommendations and advice have been found useful. The users range from international organisations (eg the European Union, whose Basic Safety Standards directive is largely based on ICRP recommendations), national governments, regulatory authorities, and designers and operators, to individual workers and other persons interested in radiation protection.

The Publications of ICRP are produced under a rigorous and time-proven Quality Management system involving scrupulous peer review. The reviewing system is structured on a four-tier series of meetings of Working Parties, Task Groups, Committees, and the Main Commission, all of which is of course supplemented by review per correspondence. Information about meetings during the period reported here is given under 4. below.

The work of the Commission is supported by a very small secretariat, whose sole salaried employee is the Scientific Secretary. Activities of the secretariat during the period are briefly mentioned under 5. below.

A summary of the results achieved is given in 6. below.

2. Publications

The Publications of ICRP are produced under a rigorous and time-proven Quality Management system involving scrupulous peer review. The reviewing system is structured on a four-tier series of meetings of Working Parties, Task Groups, Committees, and the Main Commission, all of which is of course supplemented by review per correspondence.

A list of publications for each year is published in the Annual Reports.

In addition to the printed publications, CD-ROMs are marketed through the same channels as the printed reports.

3. Work in Progress

A list of active ICRP Task Groups is available here (36 kb).

4. Meetings

Meetings are an essential part of the work of ICRP. The latest published Annual Report accounts for meetings held during the year.

5. Work of the ICRP Secretariat

The work of the Commission is supported by a very small secretariat, whose sole salaried employee is the Scientific Secretary. The secretariat devoted time to organisation of meetings, editorial work for the Annals of the ICRP, contacts with other organisations, and internal administration.

6. Results

Recent results are reported in the latest published Annual Report. A list of valid ICRP Publications, beginning with the most recent reports, is given here.