How ORISE is Making a Difference
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Radiation Exposure Information and Reporting System (REIRS)
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is required by federal mandate to maintain and evaluate radiation protection data for workers at facilities that it licenses. As part of its mission of safety, the NRC operates the Radiation Exposure Information and Reporting System (REIRS), a database system containing all occupational radiation exposure records that have been submitted to the NRC under 10 CFR Part 20. REIRS encompasses 1,800-plus NRC licensees and contains more than five million records for more than one million monitored individuals.
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education (ORISE) manages REIRS on behalf of the NRC and provides the commission with a timely, relational system for recordkeeping and responding to information requests. To support the NRC, ORISE specifically:
- Manages, collects and analyzes exposure data from NRC licensees
- Administers REIRS databases
- Coordinates Web content and provides Web site support
- Develops and maintains software to support REIRS (e.g., REMIT and REIRView applications)
- Responds to individual requests for information
- Produces annual reports on occupational radiation exposure
REIRS dates back to 1969 when Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) licensees were required to report radiation exposure data for individual workers at the end of employment and exposure summaries for sites on an annual basis. In 1994, the NRC began requiring annual radiation exposure records for every monitored worker. Currently, ORISE collects and processes more than 150,000 exposure records annually in support of REIRS.
Data in the REIRS database is covered under the Privacy Act of 1974 and is listed as System of Records #27 for the NRC.