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National Radiation Laboratory |
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Regulatory
Other regulatory matters
In this section:
Owner obligations
Regulation 9 of the Radiation Protection Regulations requires the owner of any radiation source (irradiating apparatus or radioactive material) to ensure that there is always a suitably licensed person responsible for the safe care of the source. This person is referred to as the “principal licensee”. More information can be found here: NRL matters No. 10, Licensee responsibilities and compliance monitoring.
Compliance monitoring
The process followed by the NRL to audit licensees for compliance is detailed in NRL matters No. 10, Licensee responsibilities and compliance monitoring. The document also includes explanations of the terminology used in the NRL audit reports.
Radiation monitoring
Regulation 20 of the Radiation Protection Regulations 1982 prescribes conditions under which licensees or persons acting under their supervision or instructions must be monitored. These are:
- if that person could receive in any period of one year, by absorption from sources outside the body, a dose equivalent exceeding 0.3 of the reference dose equivalent (the term, reference dose equivalent, is defined in regulation 2), or
- as required by the Director-General of Health. These requirements are set out in Codes of Safe Practice issued by the NRL.
The Regulations and Codes of Safe Practice also provide for approval processes in relation to the types of dosemeters that can be used to meet these obligations.
Trefoils and radiation warning signs
A selection of downloadable trefoils and radiation warning signs which conform to the requirements of the Radiation Protection Regulations 1982.
The trefoils below are free to use. Please click on the picture to download.
(PDF - 11 kB) as specified in the Second Schedule, paragraph 2, Labelling of radioactive materials
(PDF - 17 kB) as specified in the Second Schedule, paragraph 3, Labelling of containers generally
(PDF - 31 kB) as specified in the Second Schedule, paragraph 4, Warning signs generally and
5, Warning signs
The radiation warning signs below are free to use. Please click on the picture to download.
(PDF - 211 kB) as required by subclause (2) of regulation for indicating a place where radioactive
material is used or stored.
Controlled area
As required by subclause (2a) of regulation 21 to indicate a
designated controlled area.
(PDF - 114 kB) Radioactive material
(PDF - 115 kB) Irradiating apparatus
(PDF - 120 kB) Radioactive material and irradiating apparatus
(PDF - 102 kB) X-rays
General radiation warning sign
Not required by regulation, but may be used to indicate the location of a particular hazard within a controlled area.
(PDF - 91 kB) Radiation hazard
Please note, there are also some variations in colour permitted for some labels. For more information refer to the Radiation Protection Regulations 1982.
Exemptions
Some less dangerous irradiating apparatus and radioactive materials are excluded from regulatory control by virtue of the definitions of those terms in the Act. Irradiating apparatus excludes apparatus that produces a dose equivalent rate less than 2.5 microsieverts per hour at a point which could be reached by a living human being. Radioactive material excludes articles containing a radioactive substance giving it a specific radioactivity of less than 100 kilobecquerels per kilogram or a total radioactivity of less than 3 kilobecquerels.
The Regulations also specify the following exemptions:
- Licences to use and consents to manufacture, sell, store or transport are not required if the activity of the radioactive material is below levels set in schedule 1
- Licences to use and consents to sell, import, export, store or transport are not required for articles listed in schedule 3
- Licences to use irradiating apparatus and sale requirements associated with that apparatus are not required (1) if the apparatus contains no radioactive material and the electric potential difference is less than 5 kilovolts, or (2) in respect of television receivers or other high voltage vacuum-tube visual display devices that do not produce externally a dose equivalent rate exceeding 5 microsieverts per hour while operating
- Certain licensing and consent requirements are exempted in specific circumstances in respect of material and apparatus on ships and aircraft