Latvia Amends Ionising Radiation Worker Exposure Rules From 25 August

The measure reduces routine dosimetry for lower-risk category B workers while retaining classification, workplace monitoring and broader radiation-protection duties. Existing safety standards continue to apply until the amendments enter into force.

Category B Dosimetry Changes From 25 August

Individual dosimetry will no longer be mandatory for category B workers, including people working with dental X-ray equipment. Operators and appointed work supervisors remain responsible for classifying exposed workers as category A or B and preparing an internal document that justifies the classification.

The classification thresholds do not change. Category A covers workers whose expected effective dose may exceed 6 millisieverts a year, whose equivalent eye-lens dose may exceed 15 millisieverts a year, or whose equivalent dose to skin, hands, forearms, feet and ankles may exceed 150 millisieverts a year. Other exposed workers are category B.

A targeted exception remains. New operators undertaking licensable activities, and existing operators starting a licensable activity in a new field, must provide category B workers with a dosimeter during the first year. The dosimeter is changed every six months.

Core Radiation Protection Duties Remain In Force

The amendment reduces administrative burden but does not remove safety standards. Operators must still use appropriate room and installation planning, expert protection calculations, workplace dose monitoring, training, instruction, health surveillance and internal procedures. Expected doses and protective measures must be assessed, with exposure kept as low as reasonably achievable.

Requirements for category A workers also remain. Electronic personal dosimeters must be calibrated and covered by the radiation-safety quality programme. Recorded doses must be submitted quarterly, including escalation where the annual 20 millisievert limit or the proportional quarterly value is exceeded. Additional extremity and eye dosimeters may be needed according to the work and expert assessment.

Removing routine dosimetry increases the importance of defensible classification. Operators that cannot show the evidence behind category B decisions may save monitoring cost but create inspection and worker-confidence risk. The same evidence discipline applies across ionising radiation work.

What Organisations Should Do Before 25 August

Operators should locate and review worker-classification records, identify new licensed activities covered by the first-year exception and update dosimetry contracts without cancelling safeguards that remain necessary. Radiation-protection supervisors should brief workers and align internal procedures, training and monitoring schedules with the amended rule.

Documented reasons for every monitoring change will help demonstrate that administrative simplification has not weakened protection. Organisations can add the commencement date and affected worker categories to their Foresight Key Dates and action plans.

Summary

Latvia's amendments take effect on 25 August 2026. Routine individual dosimetry ends for most category B workers, but worker classification, workplace monitoring, training and radiation protection remain required. Operators should document each category decision and preserve the first-year dosimeter exception for new licensable work.