The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has embarked on a review and revision of the system of radiological protection (RP System) that will lead to new General Recommendations refining and superseding ICRP Publication 103. The first major milestone in ICRP's work was the publication of the paper titled ‘keeping the ICRP Recommendations Fit for Purpose’, in 2021, aimed at encouraging discussions within the RP community. On this matter, the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) has contributed to preparing the Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) document titled ‘Reflections on the Revision of the System of Radiological Protection’ that were presented during the ICRP symposium named ‘6th International Symposium on the System of Radiological Protection’. In the latter, HERCA emphasised the need for simplification and clarification of the RP System, as well as other topics for future work: (i) to improve the fundamental principles of justification and optimisation; (ii) to broaden the guidance on radiation protection against radon exposure in workplaces; and (iii) to improve communication of RP. CSN is supportive of the HERCA reflections, and wants to elaborate more on Communication, an issue that is intimately related to the simplification and clarification of the RP System. In this paper, we propose that the revision and review of the RP System be conceived, since its very inception, on the grounds of communicability. We recognise that it is a huge challenge because the scientific robustness of the RP System is unnegotiable. The involvement of communication professionals in the process of the RP System revision may help clarify matters such as the reason why dose limits are established on one hand but reference levels are proposed, on the other, as well as why different dose limits are applicable depending on the exposure situations. The RP System is based on robust scientific foundations but there is a tendency to focus on ‘uncertainties’ rather than the many ‘certainties’ that are already well known. Undoubtedly, there will always be ‘uncertainties’, but it is the purpose of research and development (R&amp;D) efforts and scientific discussions to turn them into certainties, which can be incorporated into regulations. However, the regulator’s actions shall be based on certainties and presented whenever the public claims for information before incidents and accidents, admitting that uncertainties exist, when it may be needed.

J.C. Lentijo

J. Zarzuela

Annals of the ICRP

The International Commission on Radiological Protection was founded in 1928 to advance for the public benefit the science of radiological protection. The ICRP provides recommendations and guidance on protection against the risks associated with ionising radiation, from artificial sources as widely used in medicine, general industry and nuclear enterprises, and from naturally occurring sources. These reports and recommendations are published six times each year on behalf of the ICRP as the journal Annals of the ICRP. Each issue provides in-depth coverage of a specific subject area.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) was established in 1928 to advance the science of radiological protection for the public benefit. The ICRP provides recommendations and guidance on protective measures against the risks associated with ionising radiation from artificial sources, widely used in medicine, general industry, and nuclear enterprises, as well as from naturally occurring sources. These reports and recommendations are published six times a year as the journal Annals of the ICRP, with each issue focusing on a specific subject area, providing in-depth coverage and analysis.

国际放射防护委员会成立于1928年，旨在为公众利益推动放射防护科学的发展。ICRP提供关于防护措施的建议和指导，以应对来自人工源（如医学、工业和核能企业广泛使用的放射性物质）和自然源的电离辐射风险。这些报告和建议每年出版六期，作为期刊《Annals of the ICRP》发布。每期专注于特定主题领域，提供深入的覆盖和分析。

Communication of radiation protection issues

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