IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency International Standards and Organizations Day 3 – Lecture 5.

IAEAInternational Atomic Energy Agency

International Standards and Organizations

Day 3 – Lecture 5

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To explain the role of international organizations and to present the main IAEA standard in the field of radiation safety.

Objective

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• The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and Publication 103.

• Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards (GSR Part 3).

Contents

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• The ICRP and the ICRU were established in 1928 by the Second International Congress of Radiology.

Relevant International Organizations

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)

The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurement (ICRU)

• has established fundamental radiation protection principles and recommendations.

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undertakes regular reviews of the current:• status on the human radiation environment;• knowledge of radiation effects and radiation risks.

and is an important information base for:• the recommendations of the ICRP;• programs of the international organizations.

Relevant International Organizations (cont)

United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR)

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The functions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) include:

Relevant International Organizations (cont)

• verifying the peaceful uses of atomic energy;• promoting safety;• enabling the transfer of technology;• establishing standards of safety and to provide for

their application;• facilitating the establishment of conventions.

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• Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)• International Labour Organization (ILO)• World Health Organization (WHO)• Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD (NEA)• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)

Other Organizations

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• During the early years of diagnostic radiology, a large number of severe overexposures and radiation accidents occurred.

ICRP Background

• A growing number of acute radiation exposure incidents led to recommendations on radiation protection in the international literature.

• The ICRP was established in 1928 by the Second International Congress of Radiology.

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• generally adopted by regulatory bodies and advisory agencies at national and international levels as the basis for the development of legislation, regulations, codes of practice and guidelines.

ICRP Recommendations

• formulated in different areas of radiation protection, are based on current knowledge about the biological effects of ionizing radiation and are revised on regular basis;

The ICRP is a non-political organization. Its members are elected on the basis of well-recognized work in radiation protection and related fields.

ICRP Recommendations are:

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The 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection.

Annals of the ICRP ICRP Publication 103Volume 37. No. 2-4 2007.

ICRP Recommendations

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The general purposes of radiation protection are to:

• prevent detrimental deterministic effects such as erythema, cataract, etc.;

ICRP 103 Recommendations

• limit the probability of stochastic effects, such as cancer and hereditary effects, to levels deemed to be acceptable.

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ICRP 103 Recommendations (cont)

Situation-based approach applying fundamental principles to all controllable exposure situations:

• three exposure situations:

• Planned exposure situation• Emergency exposure situation• Existing exposure situation

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The fundamental principles of radiation protection still are:

• justification;

ICRP 103 Recommendations (cont)

• optimization of protection;

• dose limitation.

Commission’s extensive review of health effects of ionizing radiation has not indicated that any fundamental changes are needed to the system of radiological protection.

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Any decision that alters the radiation exposure situation should do more good than harm

• It applies to all 3 exposure situations

Note 1: The principles may have different wording but are the same as in IAEA publications

Justification

Justification 1

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Optimization

The likelihood of incurring exposure, the number of people exposed, and the magnitude of their individual doses should all be kept As Low As Reasonably Achievable, taking into account economic and societal factors.

• It applies to all 3 exposure situations

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The process should be constrained by restrictions on:

• the doses to individuals (dose constraints), or

so as to limit the inequity likely to result from the inherent economic / social judgements

Optimization (cont)

• the risks to individuals in the case of potential exposures (risk constraints),

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Dose Limitation

The total dose to any individual from regulated sources in planned exposure situations other than medical exposure of patients should not exceed the appropriate limits specified by the Commission.• All the dose limits are the same as in ICRP-60

except the dose limits for lens of eye for workers and apprentices that have been reduced

• Dose limitation only applies to planned exposure situations

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Dose limits:

• are aimed at ensuring that no individual is exposed to radiation risks that are judged to be unacceptable;

Dose Limitation (cont)

• differ depending on whether the exposure is to workers or to members of the public;

• do not apply to medical exposure where the issue is the intended result in terms of diagnosis or treatment.

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Fundamentals

• underlying principles - directed at senior politicians and regulators

IAEA Safety Standards

Requirements

• specify obligations and responsibilities

Guides

• recommendations in support of the requirements, based on international experience

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• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO);

Basic Safety Standards

The International Basic Safety Standards for Protection Against Ionising Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS) are jointly formulated and sponsored (expected by end 2012) by the:

• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA);• International Labour Organization (ILO);• Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD (NEA);• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and• World Health Organization (WHO).

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First BSS 1962

Basic Safety Standards (BSS) – GSR Part 3

Revised 1967

Revised, joint sponsorship withFAO, ILO, OECD / NEA, PAHO, WHO 1982

ICRP Publication 60 1991

SS 115 published 1996

ICRP Publication 103 2007

GSR Part 3 Interim 2011

Background

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• The recommendations contained in ICRP Publication 103 have been incorporated into GSR Part 3.

Basic Safety Standards (GSR Part 3)

• The Standards were established to assist appropriate Regulatory Bodies to organize and implement an adequate radiation and waste safety infrastructure, together with the necessary regulatory infrastructure.

• The Standards were also formulated to provide general guidance for organizations representing employers or workers.

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The Standards apply to the three exposure situations:

• carried out in States that adopt the GSR Part 3;

Basic Safety Standards (GSR Part 3) - Scope

• undertaken by States with the assistance of FAO, IAEA, ILO, PAHO, WHO;

• carried out by IAEA or with materials etc. from IAEA;

• where parties to bi / multi-lateral arrangements request the application of the GSR Part 3.

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The type of regulatory system adopted in a country depends on:

• the complexity and safety implications of the regulated practices and sources;

• the regulatory traditions in the country.

Objectives of a Regulatory System

• its size;

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The general functions of a Regulatory Body include:

• assessment of notifications for permission to conduct practices that entail or could entail exposure to radiation;

Objectives of a Regulatory System (cont)

• authorization of relevant practices and the sources associated with them, subject to specified conditions;

• periodic inspection for compliance with conditions; and

• enforcement as necessary to ensure compliance with regulations and standards.

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• registration of relevant low risk practices;

• licensing of other practices, with

Objectives of a Regulatory System (cont)

Mechanisms are needed for:

• notification of intended radiation uses;

provision for the exemption of sources or practices from regulatory requirements under certain conditions.

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The effectiveness of radiation protection and safety measures for each authorized source should be assessed, as should the total potential health and environmental impact of all authorized sources.

Objectives of a Regulatory System (cont)

Provision is also needed for:

• surveillance, monitoring, review, verification and inspection of sources, and for

• ensuring that adequate plans exist for dealing with radiation accidents and emergency situations.

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• each country;• facilities using radiation;• departments within facilities (e.g. universities, hospitals, etc.)

System of Radiation Protection

An efficient combination of: • administration and • organization is needed for achieving the objectives of radiation protection.

An adequate infrastructure for radiation protection is necessary at all levels within:

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• a safety-based attitude; and

• recommendations from international organizations along with the requirements of the national Regulatory Bodies.

System of Radiation Protection (cont)

Infrastructure for radiation protection should be based on:

• a safety culture;

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Legislation (Act, Statute, Decree, etc)

Essential National Infrastructure

A Regulatory Body:• to authorize, review and assess radiation use;• to inspect practices and enforce the legislation; and• with appropriate resources and trained personnel.

General provisions /services• education and training of users and Regulatory Body

staff• personal dosimetry, calibration, other monitoring, etc

Regulations

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1. INTRODUCTION

2. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PROTECTION AND SAFETYApplication of principles of radiation protection Responsibilities of the governmentResponsibilities of the regulatory bodyResponsibilities for protection and safetyManagement requirements

3. PLANNED EXPOSURE SITUATIONSScopeGeneric requirementsOccupational exposurePublic exposureMedical exposure

4. EMERGENCY EXPOSURE SITUATIONSScopeGeneric requirementsPublic exposureExposure of emergency workersTransition from an emergency exposure situation to an existing exposure situation

5. EXISTING EXPOSURE SITUATIONSScopeGeneric requirementsPublic exposureOccupational exposure

Schedule I EXEMPTION AND CLEARANCESchedule II CATEGORIZATION FOR SEALED SOURCES USED IN COMMON PRACTICESSchedule III DOSE LIMITS FOR PLANNED EXPOSURE SITUATIONSSchedule IV CRITERIA FOR USE IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

103

The 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection

GSR Part 3 Contents

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I Exemptions and Clearance.

.

Schedules

II Categorization for sealed sources used in common practices.

III Dose limits for planned exposure situations.IV Criteria for use in emergency preparedness and

response

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Practice

Any human activity that introduces additional sources of exposure or additional exposure pathways, or modifies the network of exposure pathways from existing sources, so as to increase the exposure or the likelihood of exposure of people or the number of people exposed

Definitions

LicenceA legal document issued by the Regulatory Body granting authorization to perform specified activities relating to a facility or activity.

Licensee

The holder of a current Licence.

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Planned exposure situation

A situation of exposure that arises from the planned operation of a source or from a planned activity that results in an exposure from a source.

Emergency exposure situation

An situation of exposure that arises as a result of an accident, a malicious act, or any other unexpected event, and requires prompt action in order to avoid or reduce adverse consequences.

Existing exposure situation

A situation of exposure that already exists when a decision on the need for control needs to be taken.

Note 1: More definitions available in GSR Part 3 and in IAEA Safety Glossary

Definitions (cont) 1

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• Government• Regulatory body or other national authority• Registrant and licensee (main responsibility for

application of Standards)• Employers• Radiological medical practitioner• Manufacturers and other suppliers• Providers of consumer products• Emergency response organizations

Responsibilities for implementing requirement assigned to:

Responsibilities

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Practices• Production and supply of r/a material & devices that generate

radiation; generation of NP and other activities in nuclear fuel cycle; use of radiation or r/a material for industry, medical etc; mining and processing or raw materials

Sources with practices• Facilities that contain r/a material / radiation generators e.g.

nuclear installation, medical radiation facilities, r/a waste management facility, mineral extraction & mineral processing facilities

• Individual sources of radiation

Application of the GSR Part 3

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Occupational, medical and public exposureNatural sources • Material containing natural radionuclides above specified

level :• (U/Th decay chains > 1 Bq/g; K-40 > 10 Bq/g)

• Radon (Rn-220 and Rn-222) and their progeny• (i) in workplace where radon levels above reference

level• (ii) in workplaces where r/nuclides in U/Th chains are

above 1 Bq/g

Application of the GSR Part 3 (cont)

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Application of the GSR Part 3 (cont)

The GSR Part 3

applies to

Occupational exposures

Medical exposures

Existing exposure situations

Planned exposure situations

Emergency exposure situations

Public exposures

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• 3.7 Notification alone is sufficient provided that the exposures expected to be associated with the practice or action are unlikely to exceed a small fraction, as specified by the regulatory body, of the relevant limits, and that the likelihood and magnitude of potential exposures and any other potential detrimental consequences are negligible.

• 3.7 Notification is required for consumer products only with respect to manufacture, assembly, maintenance, import, distribution and, in some cases, disposal.

Any person or organization intending to operate a facility or to conduct an activity shall submit to the regulatory body, as appropriate, a notification or an application for authorization.

Notification and Authorization (Req. 7)

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Authorization: registration or licensing (Req. 7)

3.8. Any person or organization intending to carry out any of the actions specified in para. 3.5 (adopt, introduce, conduct, discontinue or cease a practice, or as applicable, mine, extract, process, design, manufacture, construct, assemble, install, acquire, import, export, distribute, loan, hire, receive, site, locate, commission, possess, use, operate, maintain, repair, transfer, decommission, disassemble, transport, store or dispose of a source) shall, unless notification alone is sufficient, apply to the regulatory body for authorization, which shall take the form of either registration or licensing.

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Registration (Req. 7)

• safety largely ensured by design facilities and equipment;

• operating procedures simple to follow; • safety training requirements minimal; • there is history of few problems with safety in operations.

Typical practices amenable to registration:

Registration best suited to practices for which operations do not vary significantly

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A practice or radiation source may be exempted if:• the individual public effective dose is <10 µSv in a year; and

the effective dose expected to be incurred by any member of the public for such low probability scenarios does not exceed 1 mSv in a year;

• Or regulatory control of the practice or the source would yield no net benefit, in that no reasonable control measures would achieve a worthwhile return in terms of reduction of individual doses or of health risks.

For radioactive substances, either the total activity or the activity concentration is to be less than the levels specified in Schedule I.

Exemption and Clearance (Schedule I)

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Justification of practices (the radiation use has a positive net benefit).

Radiation Protection Requirements for Practices

• dose constraints;

Dose limitation (dose limits are applied) for occupational and public exposures.

Optimization of protection and safety (ALARA) by the application of:

• guidance levels for medical exposure.

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Safety assessment (Req. 13)

Safety assessments must be undertaken to:

• identify normal and potential exposure routes;

• determine the magnitude and likelihood of exposures (normal operation and potential exposures);

• assess protection and safety provisions.

The Regulatory Body shall establish and enforce requirements for safety assessment, and the person or organization responsible for a facility or activity that gives rise to radiation risks shall conduct an appropriate safety assessment of this facility or activity.

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Monitor and measure parameters to assess compliance with the requirements for protection and safety:

Monitoring for verification of compliance (Req. 14)

• using appropriate and calibrated monitoring equipment;• maintaining and testing verification procedures;• recording results;• results of monitoring and verification of compliance are

shared with the regulatory body as required.

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The application of the requirements in planned exposure situations shall be commensurate with the characteristics of the practice or the source within a practice, and with the magnitude and likelihood of the exposures.

Graded approach (Req. 6)

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Management for protection and safety (Req. 5)

The principal parties shall ensure that protection and safety is effectively integrated into the overall management system of the organizations for which they are responsible.

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• 1.41: reference to nuclear security series of publications.• 2.27: The government shall ensure that infrastructural

arrangements are in place for the interfaces between safety and security of radioactive sources.

• 3.32: The safety assessment shall include: (f) the implications for protection and safety of security measures, and of any modifications to security measures.

Interface between safety and security