Country Presentation Italy

1
Country Presentation - Italy
based on the relation prepared byGiorgio Cucchi
(Bologna, Italy)General Secretary of National
Professional Association of Italian Qualified
Experts in Radiological Protection (ANPEQ)
presented by Andrea Luciani
2
Introduction

• In Italy the Radiation Protection Experts (RPEs)
  are called Qualified Experts
• There are not the accredited figures of
  Radiation Protection Officers (RPOs)
• ANPEQ is the Italian Professional Association of
  Qualified Experts (1500 QEs)
• ANPEQs aims are
• to train and to bring up to date the QEs with
  refresher courses and professional meetings
• to represent for every QE with Ministries and
  other governement and local authorities

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QEs main features

• Qualification of QEs is related to the type of
  source of ionizing radiations and not to the
  sector of application of the source
• Recognition of QE status is not time limited
• Clear distinction between the QE and the Employer

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Duties of QEs

• the first evaluation as what concerns the
  radioprotection and instructions to the employer
  on the accomplishment of his duties
• preventive examination and granting of the
  approval of installations projects and their
  modifications
• first verification of new installations and
  eventual modifications
• periodical verification on the effectiveness of
  radioprotection devices and techniques
• periodical verification of the correct working of
  measurement instrumentation
• environment observation on the controlled and
  supervised areas

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Duties of QEs

• evaluation of dose and intake of radionuclides
  for the radio-exposed workers
• communication to the authorised physician of the
  received or the committed doses by the exposed
  workers
• necessary evaluations for the physical
  surveillance of the members of public. In
  particular
• preventive evaluation of the committed dose by
  reference groups of the population,
• evaluation of actually received and committed
  doses by the reference groups,
• evaluation of expositions in case of accident
• classification of workplaces and workers
• frequency of evaluations on radioprotection

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Expertise and Recognition of QEs

• 1st degree for radiological devices
  accelerating electrons with a maximum voltage
  value, applied to the tube, of 400 kV
• 2nd degree for devices producing radiations
  with accelerated electrons with energy up to
  10 MeV radioactive sources, including all the
  natural sources and the neutrons sources (not
  larger than 104 n/s)
• 3rd degree for every source, including nuclear
  plants.

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Expertise and Recognition of QEs

• Qualification examination at the Ministry of
  Labour (board of examiners from Ministries of
  Health, of Labour, of University and from
  scientific institutions)
• Titles needed for admittance to the examination
  are
• to obtain 1st and 2nd degree university degree
  or short degree in chemistry, industrial
  chemistry, physics or engineering OJT 120 days
  for every degree
• to obtain 3rd degree university degree in
  chemistry, industrial chemistry, physics or
  engineering and also a postgraduate training at
  least of 120 work days next to
• a ion accelerator,
• an electron accelerator (E gt 10 MeV),
• a nuclear plant.
• OJT not needed with a postgraduate diploma of
  specialization in health physic or in
  radioprotection

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Contents of qualification examination

• 1st degree
• characteristic and properties of electromagnetic
  ionising radiations and way of interaction with
  the matter
• working features of devices emitting X-rays,
  parameters for the radioprotection, working load,
  designing and examination of primary and
  secondary shields
• X-rays detection and dosimetry, theoretical
  principles, quantities, theory of the cavity,
  methods and instrumentation for the measurements
• personal dosimetry for X-ray exposure, dosimeters
  and principles on working
• biological effects of ionising radiations
• provisions of the law and technical regulations
  on the protection against the risks from ionising
  radiations 
• protection of the members of public 
• quality controls on radiological devices

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Contents of qualification examination

• 2nd degree
• . all subjects above mentioned and
• detection and measurements of X- and g-rays with
  energy up to 10 MeV 
• detection and measurements of flux and adsorbed
  dose of charged elementary particles
• main uses of the radioactive substances in
  industry, research and medicine 
• handling of radioactive materials, planning of
  laboratories, surface and internal contamination,
  derived limits, detection systems and measurement
  for every radioisotope, calculation of the
  adsorbed dose because of internal contamination,
  treatment of radioactive waste, transport of
  radioactive materials
• elements about neutronic radiation
• quality controls on radiological and nuclear
  medicine devices

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Contents of qualification examination

• 3rd degree
• all subjects listed for 1st and 2nd degree, and
• measurement and detection of neutrons fluxes,
  spectrometry  principles and measurement
  instrumentation 
• individual neutronic dosimetry, features and
  applications 
• radioprotection in the field of the neutronic
  irradiation, planning of shields
• features of installation and working of neutronic
  sources 
• features of installation, license and management
  of plants, as what concerns the risk from
  ionising radiations 
• situations of nuclear emergency

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Strength and Weakness

• Strength of system
• Very detailed qualification examination at
  Ministry of Labour with a special board of
  examiners with a wide range of competencies and
  coming from a variety range of practices
  (Ministries of Health, Labour, and University,
  scientific institutions, etc.)
• Subject of the QE examination is every use
  typology of radiological devices and radioactive
  substances without differentiation among sectors
  (medicine, industry and research)
• Weaknesses and deficiencies of system
• It may be difficult for the candidate to find an
  available structure for the postgraduate OJT
• In principle no salary during the OJT

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Expectations of the Platform

• Harmonized accreditation system in the EU
  countries with possibility of mobility of workers
  
• Maintenance of a high level of expertise of the
  RPEs, for example developing approaches and
  methodology of (mutual) recognition not
  fragmented on too much specific sectors (i.e. too
  narrow field of application of radioactive
  sources)

13
Constraints and flexibility

• Constraints
• Educational basis university degree or short
  degree
• Presence of an examination at a special board
• ...from less Constraining to more Flexible..
• Typology of sources vs. sector of application
• Flexibility
• Organization / duration of the OJT
• Implementation of a refresher/update course
  scheme for re-recognition

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Summary

• The main features of QEs in Italy
• Qualification in relation to the type of source
  of ionizing radiations and not to the sector of
  application of the source
• Recognition of QEs 3 levels of expertise
• Qualification examination at the Ministry of
  Labour
• Basic requirements university degree or short
  degree OJT
• Weaknesses and deficiencies of system
• Difficulties for the candidate to find available
  structures for the OJT
• In principle no salary during the OJT
• Constraints
• Academic title
• Examination at a
• special board

• Flexibility
• Organization / duration of the OJT
• Implementation of a refresher/update course for
  re-recognition