This article is intended for companies with workplaces in the following areas: show mines, show caves, radon spas or health resorts, underground work areas, water extraction, treatment, storage and distribution facilities where radon can escape from the water into the indoor air of parts of the facility.

While the provisions for radon protection in radon protection areas only apply in these areas, the provisions for the protection of workers in other workplaces apply throughout Austria.

Your operation falls within the scope of the Radiation Protection Act 2020 and the Radon Protection Ordinance if workplaces are located in the following areas or facilities:

• in facilities for the extraction, treatment, storage and distribution of water in which radon can escape from the water into the indoor air of parts of the facility
• in underground working areas in mines, shafts, galleries, tunnels and caves
• in exhibition mines and caves
• in radon spas and health resorts

If this applies, you are obliged to commission an authorized monitoring body to carry out a radon measurement at the affected workplaces. A list of authorized monitoring bodies can be found here.

The aim of this measurement is to check whether the reference value for the radon concentration at the workplace is complied with in all relevant work areas.

Workplaces are exempt from the measurement obligation of the Radiation Protection Act 2020 if one of the following conditions applies:

• Plants for the extraction, treatment, storage and distribution of water in which radon can escape from the water into the indoor air of plant components: the daily water discharge volume is less than 10 cubic meters per day or no worker employed by the responsible person spends more than 50 hours per year in plant components in which radon can escape from the water into the indoor air.
• Underground work areas in mines, shafts, galleries, tunnels and caves: ventilation is operated in accordance with the state of the art or as required by law. If the ventilation is artificial, no further criteria are to be applied. In the case of natural ventilation, the exception is only applicable if no worker employed by the responsible person spends more than 30 hours per year in underground work areas.
• Show mines and show caves: No worker employed by the responsible person spends more than 30 hours per year in these workplaces.
• Radon spas and health resorts: No worker employed by the responsible person spends more than 120 hours per year in spa areas with radon waters.

In accordance with the transitional provisions of the Radiation Protection Act 2020, those monitoring bodies that were allowed to carry out radon measurements under the Natural Radiation Sources Ordinance are considered authorized monitoring bodies for the radon measurements currently to be commissioned. The list of authorized monitoring bodies is updated regularly.

Authorized monitoring bodies for radon

Radon Competence Centre in Austria

Radiation protection for radon (→ Company Service Portal)