Industrial Safety at Particle Accelerators

The construction and operation of particle accelerators implies the use of numerous technologies and trades which are well-known from the manufacturing and construction industries. Consequently, their safety hazards are described in the literature and standard best practice solutions exist for controlling the risks emerging from these activities. In this section, the occupational hazards of electricity, mechanical equipment and pressure vessels are illustrated with examples from particle accelerator facilities. Further sections are dedicated to accelerator-specific protection against fire, occupational noise, and environmental damage.

Beam Hazards and Ionising Radiation

This chapter treats hazards originating from particle beams. The interaction of charged particle beams with matter is described. Beam loss can cause material damage in structural and electronic components. Ionising radiation is introduced by a description of the different types of radiation. Then, the sources of ionising radiation at accelerators are defined: beam loss is the origin of prompt ionising radiation. Material activated by the passage of particle cascades is a long-lived source of ionising radiation. The chapter is closed with a description of radiation dosimetry and radiation protection at accelerators.

Safety Organisation at Particle Accelerators

Particle accelerator centres and research institutions, as other branches of industry and business, bear hazards and risks for accidents and occupational illness for workers. On a larger scale, professional activities may harm the environment and the public living in the vicinity of the plant. After this book has highlighted some of the scientific and technical challenges of occupational safety at accelerators, this closing chapter describes how the safety process works, and how and by which means safety is organised in complex structures. The chapter closes with beam safety and functional safety, two areas where technical hazards are controlled by organisational processes.

Introduction to Occupational Safety

It is not possible to write a book on Safety at Accelerators, or on occupational safety in general, without a practical understanding of the technical language of the field. Like in other scientific or technical fields, words are used with a specific meaning, often deviating from their everyday use. These terms must be clarified before penetrating deeper into the subject. Central to occupational safety are the terms of hazard, risk, and control. A more detailed description of these concepts is found in Chap. 10.1007/978-3-030-57031-6_5.

Risks and Hazards of Particle Accelerator Technologies

In this section, the motivation and operation of particle accelerators are briefly introduced. Then, safety aspects of the key building blocks are treated. Magnets provide the steering forces for accelerated particles. Cryogenics provides the low temperatures required for the operation of superconducting magnets; radiofrequency technologies impart energy to accelerated particles. A byproduct of their operation is Non-ionising radiation. Another type of NIR is represented by lasers which find increasing use in accelerator applications. Finally, collimators shape the particle beams and protect sensitive elements, while dumps absorb the particles at the end of their course.