John Dunster CB ARCS BSc FSRP(1922-2006)

We are sad to announce that John Dunster, a former Director of the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), which became part of the Health Protection Agency in April 2005, died on Sunday, 23 April 2006 after a long illness.

John Dunster was a pioneer in radiological protection. He understood the need for good science to underpin protection but also the need for any advice to be practical. After a career in the UK atomic energy programme from its inception in 1946 he was appointed an Assistant Director (Operations) at NRPB when it was first set up in 1971. In 1976 he left to become Director of Nuclear Safety and Deputy Director General of the Health and Safety Executive. He was awarded a CB and returned to NRPB as Director in 1982 until his retirement in 1987.

Radiological protection is an international subject and John Dunster will be remembered particularly for his significant contributions to the work of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). He had a strong input to the major recommendations of ICRP published in 1977 and 1990 and was a major advocate for international acceptance of these recommendations. He was first invited to join ICRP Committee 4 in 1962 and its role was (and still is) to advise on the application of ICRP recommendations. He was elected to the Main Commission of ICRP in 1973 and became an Emeritus Member of the Commission in 1997. During his career he also sat on other international committees and groups, including the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). From 1982 to 1992 he was the UK representative to the prestigious United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR).

Having graduated from Imperial College in 1942 with a first class honours degree in physics, he joined the war effort at the Admiralty and worked on acoustic detectors. In 1946 he was employed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority and spent 25 years working on safety aspects of the nuclear power programme. He developed practical procedures for radiological protection in the industry and developed techniques for hazard assessment. He worked on methods to assess the impact of routine discharges from nuclear facilities and most importantly he had a major involvement in the response to the Windscale fire in 1957. He advised on the need for prompt countermeasures to reduce the impact of iodine-131 releases from the accident, particularly the milk ban instigated in the locality and other parts of northern England. The minimisation of doses from iodine-131 is now an accepted planned response to major accidental releases from nuclear power facilities, and John Dunster's experience and influence was a major factor in this.

John Dunster will also be remembered for the response of NRPB to the Chernobyl accident in 1986. The plume from Chernobyl arrived in the UK on Friday, 2 May, just before a bank holiday weekend. John Dunster led the NRPB response to the accident throughout that weekend and appeared on all the major television and radio networks to explain what the impact was likely to be in the UK. He understood the need for clear communications and drove forward efforts to get sensible advice on Ceefax and Teletext. There was understandable public concern at the time and John Dunster argued strongly that providing accurate public information about possible risks should be a priority.

John Dunster was a powerful advocate for radiological protection and made significant contributions to the subject. He was formidable in debate and could be a combative colleague on occasions. However, he was scrupulously fair and would not allow senior colleagues to blame their juniors for any shortcomings or faults. He had a great sense of humour and was tremendously good company. He will be sadly missed by colleagues here and abroad, and leaves a lasting legacy in the practice of radiological protection.

Michael Clark

Last reviewed: 19 December 2008