ASN Report 2018

Pressure equipment operation is regulated. This regulation in particular applies to the in-service surveillance programmes, non-destructive testing, maintenance work, disposition of nonconformities affecting these systems and periodic post- maintenance testing. ASN also assesses the compliance of the most important new NPE with the requirements of the regulations. It approves and monitors the organisations responsible for assessing the conformity of the other nuclear pressure equipment. • Regulation and monitoring of the transport of radioactive substances Transport comprises all operations and conditions associated with movements of radioactive substances, such as packaging design, manufacture, maintenance and repair, as well as the preparation, shipment, loading, carriage, including storage in transit, unloading and receipt at the final destination of the radioactive substance consignments and packages (see chapter 9). • Regulation and monitoring of activities comprising a risk of exposure to ionising radiation In France, ASN fulfils the role by drafting and monitoring technical regulations concerning radiation protection. The scope of ASN’s regulatory role in radiation protection covers all the activities that use ionising radiation. ASN exercises this duty, where applicable, jointly with other State services such as the Labour Inspectorate, the Inspectorate for Installations Classified for Protection of the Environment, the departments of the Ministry of Health and the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM). This action directly concerns either the users of ionising radiation sources, or organisations approved to carry out technical inspections on these users. The methods of regulating the radiation protection players are presented in Table 1. They were updated with the June 2018 publication of the Decrees transposing European Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 December 2013 setting the Basic Standards for Health Protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation. • Regulating the application of Labour Law in the nuclear power plants ASN carries out labour inspectorate duties on the 58 reactors in operation (distributed among the 19 NPPs), the Flamanville EPR reactor and the eight reactors being decommissioned. The regulation of safety, radiation protection and labour inspection very often covers common topics, such as worksite organisation or the conditions of use of outside contractors (see chapter 10). The ASN labour inspectors have four essential duties: ∙ ∙ checking application of all aspects of labour legislation (health, occupational safety and working conditions, occupational accident inquiries, quality of employment, collective labour relations); ∙ ∙ advising and informing the employers, employees and personnel representatives about their rights, duties and labour legislation; ∙ ∙ informing the administration of changes in the working environment and any shortcomings in the legislation; ∙ ∙ facilitating conciliation between the parties. The ASN labour inspectors have the same powers and the same prerogatives as common law labour inspectors. They belong to the labour inspectorate system for which the central authority is the General Directorate for Labour. The duties of the labour inspectors are based on international standards (International Labour Organisation Convention No. 81) and national regulations. ASN carries them out in liaison with the other Government departments concerned, mainly the departments of the Ministry responsible for Labour. ASN has set up an organisation designed to deal with these issues. The action of the ASN labour inspectors (6.7 Full- Time Equivalent – FTE) in the field has increased since 2009, particularly during reactor outages, with inspection visits, advisory roles at the meetings of the Committee for Health, Safety and Working Conditions (CHSCT) and the Inter- company Committee on Safety and Working Conditions (CIESCT), as well as regular discussions with the social partners. 2.2  ̶  Internal checks performed by the licensees 2.2.1  –  BNI licensee internal oversight In 2017, ASN issued a resolution (2017-DC-0616 of 30 November 2017) which specifies the criteria for distinguishing the significant modifications requiring ASN authorisation from those simply requiring notification. It also defines the requirements applicable to the management of significant modifications, more particularly the internal checks procedures to be implemented by the licensees. ASN checks correct application of the provisions stipulated by this resolution. Methods of ASN regulation of the various radiation protection players EXAMINATION/AUTHORISATION INSPECTION OPENNESS AND COOPERATION Users of ionising radiation sources • Examination of the application files required by the Public Health Code (Articles R.1333-1 et seq.). • Pre-commissioning inspection, mainly in the medical field • Receipt of notification, registration or issue of authorisation (Article R. 1333‑8) • Radiation protection inspection (Article L. 1333-29 of the Public Health Code) • Jointly with the professional organisations, drafting of guides of good practices for users of ionising radiation Bodies approved for radiation protection inspections • Examination of approval application files for performance of inspections required by Article R. 1333‑172 of the Public Health Code • Organisation audit • Delivery of approval • Second level inspection: - in-depth inspections at head office and in the branches of the organisations - unannounced field inspections • Jointly with the professional organisations, drafting of rules of good practices for performance of radiation protection inspections Table 1 134  ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2018 03 – REGULATION OF NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES AND EXPOSURE TO IONISING RADIATION