The details of the requirements for obtaining a personal or operational dosimeter can be found below for:

If you don’t know in which category of personnel you belong, please check on the admin e-guide (login required).

Special conditions applies to interim/temporary workers, please contact the Dosimetry Service.

Personal dosimeter for employed or associated members of the personnel

You can obtain a personal dosimeter if you meet the following conditions:

1. You have a valid contract with CERN and, in this context, you are required to work in a Radiation Area at CERN.
2. You have successfully completed the appropriate CERN radiation protection training.
3. Depending on your status at CERN, you fulfil the following conditions:
4. 
   
   1. Employed members of the personnel (MPE: staff, fellows, graduates)
      
      There are two categories of professionally exposed workers: Category A and Category B. Unless decided otherwise following an individual assessment, you will be classified in Category B.
      
      Category A: An individual assessment is done by the radiation protection group if indicated or requested. If the expected dose justify a classification in Category A, the CERN Medical Service must confirm your medical fitness to be occupationally exposed to ionising radiation for Category A workers. You are then classified in Category A with a reinforced medical follow-up by the CERN Medical Service.
      
      Category B: No specific medical fitness and no reinforced medical follow-up is required.
      
   2. Associated members of the personnel for the purpose of training (MPA-t: students, trainees, apprentices)
      
      Unless otherwise agreed between CERN and your home institution, CERN will, on behalf of your home institution, classify you as radiation worker in Category B for which no specific medical examination is required.
      
   3. Associated members of the personnel (MPA, other than MPA-t)
      
      If you are an associated member of the personnel other than for the purpose of training, you will have to provide either:
      1. a valid and up to date radiation passport
      2. a certificate in the prescribed format signed by your home institution. If you encounter difficulties in filling in and signing the certificate, please contact the Dosimetry Service.
      Unless otherwise agreed between CERN and your home institution, CERN will, on behalf of your home institution, classify you as radiation worker in Category B for which no specific medical examination is required.
      
      Short-term dosimeter for associated members of the personnel (except MPA-t)
      If you stay at CERN for less than 2 months in a calendar year and work only in Supervised Radiation Areas, you may request a short-term dosimeter without the need to provide any of the above documents (radiation passport or home institution certificate). In this case your maximum allowed personal dose is limited to 1 mSv per year. The two-months period can be fractioned over the calendar year. Please return your dosimeter whenever you leave CERN or when you are absent for several weeks.

Personal dosimeter for contractors

To obtain a personal dosimeter for your personnel working in Radiation Areas at CERN the following conditions must be met:

1. You must be a contractor holding a valid contract with CERN.
2. You have taken note of CERN’s rules and procedures applicable for work in CERN Radiation Areas and you agree to take all necessary measures to ensure that your personnel concerned understands and complies with these rules and procedures.
3. You have designated a qualified Radiation Protection Expert. The name and address of the expert must be communicated to the Dosimetry Service before requesting a dosimeter.
4. You have obtained the relevant authorisation(s) issued by your home country as well as a license from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health for the work in presence of ionising radiation (“Placement de personnel dans des secteurs contrôlés/surveillés”). This license can be obtained through the Swiss Radiation Portal. The latter is only required if this work will be conducted on the Swiss territory at CERN (4P Swiss).
5. You have provided a general training in radiation protection to the personnel concerned.
6. Your personnel must have followed the required specific radiation protection training for the relevant CERN Radiation Area.
7. You have organised the medical and dosimetric follow-up of the personnel concerned in accordance with the national law applicable to you. You will provide the personnel concerned with legal passive personal dosimeters in addition to the ones provided by CERN. The Dosimetry Service ensures independent individual dosimetry for all persons working in CERN Radiation Areas. To this end your personnel concerned will be provided with a CERN personal dosimeter. You must ensure that your personnel wears both, yours and CERN’s, passive dosimeters for all work in CERN Radiation Areas.
8. Each member of your personnel concerned must have read and signed the CERN Personal Dosimeter – Reception Form (pdf). This is only needed for the first dosimeter.
9. By default, the personnel will be classified in Category B unless otherwise requested or confirmed by you. In case personnel has to be classified in Category A, you must provide medical certificates confirming the aptitude for Category A for each person.

Under special circumstances, for some non-recurrent interventions in radiation areas and limited in time, the classification of a person as radiation worker and the related administrative procedures (Radiation Protection Expert, authorisation from the FOPH, general training in radiation protection, medical and dosimetric follow-up) can be waived. An individual approval from radiation protection must be obtained beforehand. Contact your CERN technical contact or CERN radiation protection officer to know if this procedure can be applied.

Obtain an operational dosimeter

For certain interventions or for working in areas with higher dose rate levels, operational dosimeters are mandatory.

You can obtain an operational dosimeter from the Dosimetry Service if you fulfill the following conditions:

1. You have been assigned a regular (not short-term!) personal dosimeter.
2. You will work in a Limited Stay or High Radiation – Controlled Radiation Area or the Radiation Protection Group has recommended that you wear an operational dosimeter for your activity.
3. You have a valid IMPACT number.

In some teams an operational dosimeter pool is available. If your group has such a dosimeter pool you can use them to access Limited Stay or High Radiation – Controlled Radiation Areas and are not required to pick up your own operational dosimeter from the Dosimetry Service.

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In Brief

Subscribe online and follow a radiation protection course

Once approved, come to building 33 with your CERN card.

Read and sign the ‘Rules of use’ form (pdf).