Radiation Safety
Managing NORM
A specialised programme on naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) that concentrates in oil and gas, mining, mineral processing, phosphate and groundwater operations: where it forms, how it is monitored and assessed, and how its deposits and waste are managed in line with national regulations and international guidance. It draws on training material based on International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) methodologies, with exercises on decay chains and radionuclide deportment.
Overview
About the programme
A specialised programme on naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) that concentrates in oil and gas, mining, mineral processing, phosphate and groundwater operations: where it forms, how it is monitored and assessed, and how its deposits and waste are managed in line with national regulations and international guidance. It draws on training material based on International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) methodologies, with exercises on decay chains and radionuclide deportment.
Duration
3 days
Training hours
18 hours
Delivery
Training hall · Virtual · At your premises
Language
Arabic or English
Objectives
What trainees will gain
- Understand the sources of NORM, the decay chains of uranium, thorium, radium and radon, and where they concentrate in industrial processes.
- Assess occupational and public exposure from NORM: external exposure, inhalation, ingestion and indoor radon.
- Plan monitoring, sampling and analysis, and interpret the results against exclusion and exemption levels.
- Manage deposits, scale, sludge and contaminated equipment: cleaning, storage, transport and disposal options.
- Prepare a NORM management programme for the facility, covering procedures, records, training and communication with the regulatory body.
Content
What the programme covers
Day 1: Foundations
- The nature of NORM and natural decay chains, and radioactive equilibrium and its disruption in industrial processes.
- Industries concerned: oil and gas extraction, mining and ore processing, phosphate and fertilisers, groundwater, and scrap recycling.
- The regulatory framework: distinguishing between planned practices and existing exposure situations, exemption and exclusion levels, and regulatory body requirements.
Day 2: Assessment and monitoring
- Exposure pathways: external exposure from deposits, inhalation of dust and radon, and ingestion, with dose estimation for each pathway.
- Monitoring and field surveys of equipment, pipes, tanks and work areas.
- Sampling and analysis: gamma spectrometry and alpha and beta measurements, quality control and common challenges.
- Exercise: radionuclide deportment in a processing operation, and identifying points of concentration.
Day 3: Management and disposal
- Exposure control during maintenance and cleaning: area classification, personal protection, containment and decontamination.
- NORM waste management: segregation, characterisation, interim storage, transport, and disposal and treatment options.
- Reuse and release of contaminated equipment and scrap, and clearance criteria.
- The facility NORM management programme: procedures, records, training and communication with the regulatory body, with a final evaluation.
Who for
Target audience
Production and maintenance engineers and supervisors in oil and gas, environment and safety teams, personnel in mining, mineral processing, phosphate, and copper and iron smelters, operators of groundwater and water treatment plants, and contractors for pipe and tank cleaning and waste management.
Method
How it is delivered
Presentations, calculation exercises and industry case studies, with a practical session on survey instruments if delivered on site. Delivered at your facility or virtually, in Arabic or English.
A programme tailored to your organisation
The duration and topics of the programme are adjusted to the organisation's needs, and it is delivered at its site, in a training hall arranged by the Center, or virtually.