Radon Protection Ordinance (RnV)

The Ordinance on Measures for the Protection of Persons against Dangers from Radon (Radon Protection Ordinance RnV) was published in Federal Law Gazette II No 470/2020 (RIS) No 470/2020 and entered into force as of 10 November 2020. It supplements the Radiation Protection Act (StrSchG 2020), Federal Law Gazette I No. 50/2020, which, among other things, transposes the "Radiation Protection Basic Standards Directive" Directive 2013/59/Euratom (EUR-Lex) into Austrian law. The implementation of the EU Directive at federal level is completed by the stipulation of radon precautionary measures for new buildings under provincial law. This takes place within the framework of building regulations on the basis of Guideline 3 of the Austrian Institute for Building Technology (OIB Guideline 3).

The Radon Protection Ordinance regulates the health protection of workers from radon in radon protection areas. Radon protection areas are geographical areas in Austria in which comparatively many buildings have high indoor radon concentrations due to the geological properties of the subsoil.

The Radon Protection Ordinance defines radon protection areas based on data from an Austria-wide measurement campaign lasting several years. Employers in radon protection areas are obliged to protect against radon, regardless of the type of work or sector. In the radon protection areas defined in the Radon Protection Ordinance, the radon concentration must be determined at all workplaces located on the ground floor or in basements. To this end, the employer must commission an authorised monitoring body to measure the radon concentration. The further obligations depend on the radon concentration measured.

The Radon Protection Ordinance contains in particular provisions concerning

• The definition of reference values for the radon concentration at workplaces and in recreation rooms in residential buildings
• Determining the radon concentration in living spaces in residential buildings and at the workplace
• The designation of areas in which radon protection measures are required at workplaces located on the ground floor or in basements (radon protection areas)
• The exemptions from the obligation to survey the radon concentration at the workplace in radon protection areas
• The obligations when the reference value is exceeded at the workplace
• The designation of areas in which radon precautionary measures are to be taken in new buildings (radon precautionary areas). Note: The specific structural precautionary measures are determined by provincial regulations.