The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) has sent a letter to workplaces in the municipalities of Pukkila, Hausjärvi, Mäntsälä, Orimattila and Miehikkälä requesting information on the radon levels in their workspaces.
Exposure to radioactive radon gas increases the risk of lung cancer. The municipalities selected by STUK for the monitoring project are areas where one in three measurements carried out in homes or workplaces have indicated high concentrations of radioactive radon gas, exceeding the given reference values.
According to the Radiation Act, employers must investigate the radon concentration of a workplace if more than one in ten radon concentrations previously measured in the area have exceeded the reference value of 300 becquerels per cubic metre of air.
STUK has sent a reminder letter to a total of 774 workplaces. Mail was sent to 29 workplaces in Pukkila, 111 in Hausjärvi, 339 in Mäntsälä, 269 in Orimattila and 26 in Miehikkälä.
STUK monitors the radon concentrations of workplaces and employees’ exposure to radon. Senior Inspector Katja Kojo explains that employers are rarely aware of their obligations regarding radon measurements, which is why STUK targets communications and monitoring at areas where high radon concentrations are likely to occur at workplaces. Employers are responsible for radon measurements at workplaces even if they operate at rented premises.
If radon concentrations higher than the reference level are measured at a workplace, STUK advises the employer to carry out more detailed investigations or to limit employees’ radon exposure. Any repairs that are necessary to reduce the radon concentration must be agreed between the employer and the property owner.
Radon measurements lasting at least two months are carried out between the beginning of September and the end of May.
STUK has retrieved the information on the locations from the business register of Statistics Finland. Workplaces whose radon concentration measurement results are already in STUK’s radon register or who are involved in some other radon monitoring project by STUK will not receive a letter from STUK. Letters have also not been sent to workplaces that obviously do not work in buildings, such as timber harvesting companies.
