ASN Report 2018

1 —  Verifying that the licensee assumes its responsibilities 1.1  ̶  The principles of ASN’s oversight duties ASN’s oversight aims primarily to ensure that those responsible for an activity effectively assume their obligations and comply with the requirements of the regulations concerning nuclear safety and radiation protection, in order to protect persons and the environment from to radioactivity-related risks. It applies to all the phases of performance of the activity, including the decommissioning phase for nuclear facilities: ∙ ∙ before the licensee exercises an activity subject to authorisation, by reviewing and analysing the files, documents and information provided by the licensee to justify its project with regard to safety and radiation protection. This verification aims to ensure that the information and demonstration supplied are both relevant and sufficient; ∙ ∙ during exercise of the activity, by visits, inspections, verification of licensee operations entailing significant potential consequences, review of reports supplied by the licensee and analysis of significant events. This oversight includes an analysis of any justifications provided by the licensee. ASN applies the principle of proportionality when determining its actions, so that the scope, conditions and extent of its regulatory action are commensurate with the human and environmental protection implications involved. When applicable, this oversight can call on the support of the French Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) CHAPTER 03 I n France, the party responsible for a nuclear activity must ensure that this activity is safe. They cannot delegate this responsibility, and must ensure permanent surveillance of both this activity and the equipment used. Given the risks linked to ionising radiation for humans and the environment, the State regulates nuclear activities, a task it has entrusted to ASN. With the aim of ensuring greater administrative efficiency, ASN has also been entrusted with the oversight of regulation concerning the environment and pressure equipment in BNIs. Control and regulation of nuclear activities is a fundamental responsibility of ASN. Its primary goal is to ensure that a party responsible for a nuclear activity effectively assumes its obligations. ASN has a vision of control and regulation encompassing material, organisational and human aspects. Following safety and radiation protection assessments in each activity sector, the ASN implements its oversight action by issuing resolutions, binding requirements, inspection follow-up letters, plus penalties as applicable. In 2018, ASN implemented its new oversight strategy, notably by focusing this on the actions that produce the greatest benefit for the protection of people and the environment. The oversight priorities are defined with regard to the risks inherent in the activities, the behaviour of those responsible for the activities and the means they deploy to control them. In the priority areas, ASN must reinforce its oversight. Conversely, for lower-risk areas, ASN must be able to explicitly scale-back its regulation and oversight. Regulation of nuclear activities and exposure to ionising radiation ASN definition of essential inspection points For each activity considered to be a priority in the small-scale nuclear field, ASN has defined essential inspection points. They are systematically verified during the course of an inspection. Each of them was defined with a specification of what is to be inspected and how, such as the documents to be consulted prior to the inspection, interviews or direct observations, more particularly to ensure the greatest possible consistency nationwide. For example: ཛྷ ཛྷ 16 points are to be checked during industrial radiography inspections on worksites, including regulatory compliance of signage; ཛྷ ཛྷ 18 points are to be checked during inspections of fluoroscopy-guided interventional practices, with the most important ones concerning radiation protection of the professionals concerned. 132  ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2018