Regulations on the Control of High Activity Sealed Sources

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Regulations on the Control of High Activity
Sealed Sources
Karl Littlewood Specialist Environmental
Protection Officer (Radioactive Substances)
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Overview of presentation

• Brief background (examples of and regulation of
  sealed sources)
• More detailed explanation of the provisions of
  the High activity Sealed Sources (HASS) Directive
  looking at potential implications for regulators
  and users
• Conclusions

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Examples of the Uses of Radioactive Sealed Sources

• Industrial radiography
• Medical therapy
• Level gauges
• Testing Instruments
• Density measurement
• Sterilisation (irradiation of blood products,
  food, etc.)
• Gaseous Tritium Light Devices (GTLDs)

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Examples of Legislation applying to Sealed Sources

• Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999
• Radioactive Substances (Carriage by Road)(Great
  Britain) Regulations 1996
• Nuclear Installations Act 1965
• Transfrontier Shipment of Radioactive Waste
  Regulations 1993
• Council Regulation (Euratom 1493/93) on Shipments
  of Radioactive Substances Between Member States
• Radioactive Substances Act 1993
• High Activity Sealed Sources Directive 2003

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Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA 93)

• Primary purpose of RSA 93 is to control
  radioactive wastes
• As radioactive wastes are potentially harmful, it
  is important not only that they are disposed of
  safely, but also that they are not produced in
  unnecessary quantities
• More recent trends and developments have
  broadened the application of RSA 93, as the
  principle legislative vehicle for ensuring the
  environment is adequately protected

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UK Regulatory Agencies

• HSE/NII
• Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999
• Nuclear Installations Act 1965
• Dept of Transport
• Radioactive Substances (Carriage by Road)(GB)
  Regs 1996
• CAA
• Air Navigation Order 1980
• SEPA ( EA)
• Radioactive Substances Act 1993
• Transfrontier Shipment of Radioactive Waste Regs
  1993

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HASS Directive
Purpose

• to prevent exposure of workers and public to
  radiation arising from inadequate control of high
  activity sealed radioactive sources and orphan
  sources
• And to harmonise controls in place in the Member
  States by setting out specific requirements
  ensuring that each such source is kept under
  control

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HASS Directive

• What is a High Activity Sealed Source?
• containing a radionuclide whose activity at the
  time of fabrication or, at first placing on the
  market is equal to or exceeds one hundredth of
  the A1 value in IAEA Regs for safe transport of
  radioactive materials (ST-1, Revised)
• e.g. 2 x 109 Bq of Ra-226

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HASS Directive

• Article 3
• Prior to issuing authorisation (pre-permitting
  inspection)
• adequate arrangements
• for safe management
• including for disused sources
• Adequate provision for safe management when
  becomes disused (e.g. financial)

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HASS Directive

• Article 3 (continued)
• Authorisation to cover
• responsibilities
• staff competences, training
• requirements for emergency procedures
• work procedures
• maintenance

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HASS Directive

• Article 4
• a system allowing Member State to be adequately
  informed of individual transfers of sources
• Article 5
• Users to keep records of all sources, location
  and transfer and provide to competent
  authorities, as required
• competent authorities to maintain records of
  authorised holders and of sources they hold

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HASS Directive

• Article 6
• user to ascertain before a transfer is made the
  recipient holds an appropriate authorisation

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HASS Directive

• Article 9
• Competent Authorities have
• provisions to recover orphan sources and
• deal with radiological emergencies
• organise campaigns for recovering orphan
  sources, and
• encourage establishment of systems to detecting
  orphan sources in scrap yards etc.

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HASS Directive

• Article 10 - Financial security for orphan
  sources
• Member state
• ensure arrangements to cover intervention costs
  relating to the recovery of orphan sources

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HASS Directive

• Article 11
• Member States shall promptly exchange
  information and co-operate with other relevant
  Member States or third countries and with
  relevant International Organisations
• Issues for implementation?

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HASS Directive

• Article 15
• Member States shall determine penalties
  applicable that shall be effective, proportionate
  and dissuasive
• Article 16
• to apply for all new sources from start 2006
• to apply to all existing sources from start 2008

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IAEA Code of Conduct

• Sources
• safely managed and securely protected during
  their useful lives and at the end of their useful
  lives
• Cradle-to-grave approach

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Conclusions - 1

• Orphan sources need action, highlights that all
  sources need proper management
• Consequences can be devastating
• health, social, economic and political risks
• HASS directive and Code of Conduct provisions

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Conclusions - 2

• HASS Directive
• important subset of radioactive sources
• requires more of users and regulators
• comes into force
• 01 January 2006 for new sources
• 01 January 2008 for historic sources
• Cradle-to-grave approach