ASN Report 2018

2.2.2  –  Internal monitoring of radiation protection by the users of ionising radiation sources The provisions of Articles R. 4451-40 to R. 4451-51 of the Labour Code effect an in-depth reorganisation of the procedures for the performance of technical inspections, now referred to as “verifications”. They harmonise the relevant requirements with those applicable to other risks, notably the electrical risks (Art. R. 4226-14), or more generally for work equipment (Art. R. 4323-22), making the measures to be taken proportionate to the nature and scale of the risk. During the lifetime of the work equipment or the facilities, these verifications take the form of initial verifications (by an approved organisation) and periodic verifications (by the radiation protection advisor). The Order specified in Article R. 4451-51 determines the procedures and, as applicable, the frequency of the verifications, as well as the contents of the corresponding verification reports. 2.3  ̶  ASN approval of organisations and laboratories ASN can draw on the results of inspections performed by the independent organisations and laboratories that it approves and whose actions it monitors. Article L. 592-21 of the Environment Code states that ASN must issue the necessary approvals to the organisations taking part in the inspections and in ensuring the nuclear safety and radiation protection watch. The list of organisations and laboratories is available on asn.fr . ASN thus approves organisations so that they can perform the technical inspections or verifications required by the regulations in the fields within its scope of competence: ∙ ∙ radiation protection verifications; ∙ ∙ measurement of radon activity concentration in premises open to the public; ∙ ∙ assessment of NPE conformity and inspection of pressure equipment in service. In order to approve the applicant organisations, ASN ensures that they perform the inspections in accordance with their technical, organisational and ethical obligations and in compliance with the rules of professional good practice. Compliance with these provisions should enable the required level of quality to be obtained and maintained. ASN ensures that benefit is gained from the approval, in particular through regular exchanges with the organisations it has approved and the mandatory submission of an annual report. In 2017, the Organisations Approved for Radiation Protection inspections (OARP) carried out 72,550 inspections, for which the breakdown per type of source and per field is given in Table 2. The external inspection reports performed in each facility by the OARP are at the disposal of and examined by ASN personnel on the occasion of: ∙ ∙ licence renewals or modifications requiring ASN authorisation; ∙ ∙ inspections. Examination of these reports on the one hand makes it possible to check that the mandatory verifications have actually been carried out and, on the other, enables the licensees to be questioned about the steps taken to remedy any nonconformities. ASN also approves laboratories to conduct analyses requiring a high level of measurement quality if the results are to be usable. It thus approves laboratories for the monitoring of: ∙ ∙ environmental radioactivity (see point 4.3); ∙ ∙ worker dosimetry (see chapter 1). The updated list of approvals issued by ASN is available on asn.fr . Further to the opinion of the Interministerial Commission on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (CITMD),ASN also approves: ∙ ∙ the training organisations for drivers of vehicles carrying radioactive materials; two organisations have been approved. A renewal was issued in 2018; ∙ ∙ the organisations responsible for certifying the conformity of packagings designed to contain 0.1 kg or more of uranium hexafluoride; ∙ ∙ the organisations responsible for type approval of tank containers and swap tanks intended for the carriage of class 7 dangerous goods; ∙ ∙ the organisations responsible for the initial and periodic inspections of tanks intended for the carriage of class 7 dangerous goods. Two organisations are approved for the qualification of tank- containers and for certification of the conformity of uranium hexafluoride packagings. One organisation was renewed in 2018. As at 31 December 2018, the following are approved by ASN: ∙ ∙ 41 organisations tasked with radiation protection checks; 11 approvals or approval renewals were delivered in 2018; ∙ ∙ 58 organisations tasked with measuring radon activity concentration in buildings. Nine of these organisations can also carry out measurements in cavities and underground structures, while 6 are approved to identify sources and means of radon ingress into buildings. In 2018, ASN issued 41 new approvals or approval renewals; Number of radiation protection inspections performed in 2017 by organisations approved for radiation protection inspections MEDICAL VETERINARY RESEARCH / TEACHING INDUSTRY OUTSIDE BNIS BNI TOTAL Sealed sources 1,363 12 3,636 13,256 17,478 35,745 Unsealed sources 669 4 2,580 1,274 8,566 13,093 Mobile electrical generators of ionising radiation 3,365 257 67 947 12 4,648 Fixed electrical generators of ionising radiation 8,478 938 744 5,214 189 15,563 Particle accelerators 496 1 108 147 17 769 Dental 2,732 2,732 Total 17,103 1,212 7,135 20,838 26,262 72,550 Table 2 ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2018  135 03 – REGULATION OF NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES AND EXPOSURE TO IONISING RADIATION 03