Information on cosmic radiation received by Belgian aircrew: a survey

Abstract

Exposure of aircrew to cosmic radiation had already been identified as an issue of concern in the European BSS of 1996 which requested airlines to assess the exposure of the crew and to inform their workers of the health risks their work involves. These requirements have been implemented in Belgian regulations in 2001 and updated with the transposition of the 2013/59/Euratom directive. Dosimetry data show that aircrew is the group of workers, which contributes the most to the collective dose of occupationally exposed workers in Belgium. In order to verify the extent of the information received by Belgian aircrew regarding their exposure to cosmic radiation, FANC, the Belgian radiation protection authority, launched in 2019 a large survey in collaboration with the Belgian Cockpit Association (BeCA), the professional association representing airline pilots in Belgium. The survey included 8 questions regarding the information of aircrew on cosmic radiation in general, on the individual dose level and on the risk related to exposure during pregnancy. A total of about 400 responses to the survey were received. Overall, the survey reveals that aircrew members in Belgium receive too little information about the potential risks, that they are not sufficiently informed about their own exposure and that female staff members are insufficiently informed about the hazards for the unborn child in case of pregnancy, and 66% of the respondents answered that their employer has never informed them about their exposure to cosmic radiation. However, most are aware of this phenomenon, either because they have looked up information or because they have discussed the topic with colleagues and professional associations. The results also showed that 17% of female crew continued to fly while being pregnant. Finally, the survey also allowed to identify differences and similarities between different groups of workers: cockpit and cabin crew, men and women. For instance, cabin crew was even less informed about their individual exposure than cockpit crew.