Introduction

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) was established in 1928 as a Commission linked to the International Congresses of Radiology with the name International X-Ray and Radium Protection Committee. The original aim of the Commission was to develop principles and standards in order to protect medical staff and patients against possible health damage after the exposure to ionising radiation. In 1950, the Commission was restructured and given its present name. Formally, its parent organisation is still the International Society of Radiology, but its field of work has widened from protection in medical radiology to all aspects of protection against ionising radiation in medicine, research and technologies. The Commission has always been an advisory body (ICRP 1999). The Commission is supported by a number of international organisations and by many governments. It issues recommendations on the principles of radiological protection. Its recommendations form the basis for more detailed codes and regulations in radiological protection issued by other international organisations and by regional (for example EU) and national authorities.

The main objective of the Commission is to provide recommendations on an appropriate standard of protection for humans without unduly limiting the beneficial practices giving rise to radiation exposure. It has been the position of the Commission that under conditions where mammals including humans are protected, the environment is also protected (ICRP 1991). This conviction developed from the fact that mammals (including humans) are the most radiosensitive organisms. In recent years, the state of the discussion on this matter has changed somewhat.