Abstracts ASN Report 2019

With regard to the monitoring of the pool of ICSDs, in 2015, ļŁ ĶłĿĿĴĵłŅĴŇļłŁ ŊļŇĻ ё ŇĻĸ ŅĸŁĶĻ ŁņŇļŇňŇĸ ĹłŅ ĴķļĴŇļłŁ Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) set up a computerised system enabling the professionals working in this sector (maintenance technicians, installers and removal companies) to file annual activity reports on line. The transmitted information is nevertheless not exhaustive enough to allow a conclusive assessment. ASN maintains close relations with QUALDION, an association ĶŅĸĴŇĸķ ļŁ ӅӃӄӄׇŊĻļĶĻ ĿĴĵĸĿņ ŇĻĸ ĶłŀŃĴŁļĸņ ŇĻĴŇ ĶłŀŃĿŌ ŊļŇĻ the regulations relative to radiation protection and fire safety. The list of QUALDION-labelled companies is available on the association’s website. ASN participates with the association in communication campaigns targeting the holders of ionic detectors and the professionals (Expoprotection trade fair, Mayors’ trade fair, etc.). • ³ɖȸǕƺ ɀɖȵȵȸƺɀɀȒȸɀ Surge suppressors (sometimes called lightning arresters), not to be confused with lightning conductors, are small objects with a very low level of radioactivity used to protect telephone lines against voltage surges in the event of lightning strike. These are sealed devices, often made of glass or ceramic, enclosing a small volume of air containing radionuclides to pre-ionise the air and facilitate electrical sparkover. The use of surge suppressors ĻĴņ ĵĸĸŁ ĺŅĴķňĴĿĿŌ ĴĵĴŁķłŁĸķ ņļŁĶĸ ŇĻĸ ĸŁķ łĹ ŇĻĸ ӄӌӊӃņё ĵňŇ the number remaining to be removed, collected and disposed of is still very high (several million units). When installed, these devices represent no risk of exposure for individuals. However, there can be a risk of exposure and/or contamination, albeit very low, if these objects are handled without precautions or if they are damaged. ASN issued a reminder to the company Orange (formerly ŅĴŁĶĸׇ ųĿųĶłŀ ), which has begun an experimental process to identify, remove, sort and dispose of surge suppressors in the Auvergne region and has proposed a national removal and disposal plan. This plan was presented to ASN, and led in ĸŃŇĸŀĵĸŅ ӅӃӄӈׇŇł ļņņňļŁĺ Ĵ ĿļĶĸŁņĸ ĺłʼnĸŅŁļŁĺ ŇĻĸ ŅĸŀłʼnĴĿ łĹ ĴĿĿ surge suppressors containing radionuclides present on the Orange ŁĸŇŊłŅľ ļŁ ŅĴŁĶĸ ĴŁķ ŇĻĸļŅ ļŁŇĸŅļŀ ņŇłŅĴĺĸ łŁ ļķĸŁŇļĹļĸķ ņļŇĸņє The search for a disposal route is in progress in collaboration ŊļŇĻ ŁķŅĴё ŇĻĸ ŅĸŁĶĻ ĴŇļłŁĴĿ ĺĸŁĶŌ ĹłŅ ĴķļłĴĶŇļʼnĸ Waste Management. This removal plan is being implemented progressively over an eight-year time frame. • nǣǕǝɎȇǣȇǕ ƬȒȇƳɖƬɎȒȸɀ Radioactive lightning conductors were manufactured and ļŁņŇĴĿĿĸķ ļŁ ŅĴŁĶĸ ĵĸŇŊĸĸŁ ӄӌӆӅׇĴŁķ ӄӌӋӉє Ļĸ ĵĴŁ łŁ ŇĻĸ ņĴĿĸ łĹ ŅĴķļłĴĶŇļʼnĸ ĿļĺĻŇŁļŁĺ ĶłŁķňĶŇłŅņ ŊĴņ ķĸĶĿĴŅĸķ ļŁ ӄӌӋӊє Ļļņ Order did not make the removal of installed radioactive lightning conductors compulsory. Consequently, there is no obligation at present to remove the radioactive lightning conductors installed ļŁ ŅĴŁĶĸё ĸŋĶĸŃŇ ļŁ ĶĸŅŇĴļŁ ņ Ҏ ŅķĸŅ łĹ ӄӈׇ ĴŁňĴŅŌ ӅӃӃӋ ŊĻļĶĻ ņĸŇ ŇĻĸ ŅĸŀłʼnĴĿ ķĸĴķĿļŁĸ ĴŇ ӄׇ ĴŁňĴŅŌ ӅӃӄӅҏ ĴŁķ ļŁ ĶĸŅŇĴļŁ installations under Ministry of Defence responsibility (Order of ӄׇ ĶŇłĵĸŅ ӅӃӃӊׇŊĻļĶĻ ņĸŇ Ĵ ŅĸŀłʼnĴĿ ķĸĴķĿļŁĸ ĴŇ ӄׇ ĴŁňĴŅŌ ӅӃӄӇҏє ASN nevertheless expects all existing radioactive lightning conductors to be removed and transferred to Andra, given the risks they can represent, depending in particular on their physical ĶłŁķļŇļłŁє łŅ ņĸʼnĸŅĴĿ ŌĸĴŅņ ŁłŊ ĻĴņ ĵĸĸŁ ŊłŅľļŁĺ Ňł ŅĴļņĸ professional awareness of the radiation risks for workers and the public. ASN has stepped up its action in this respect by reminding the professionals of their obligations, particularly that of having an ASN license for the activity of removing and storing ŇĻĸ ĿļĺĻŇŁļŁĺ ĶłŁķňĶŇłŅņ ŃňŅņňĴŁŇ Ňł ŅŇļĶĿĸņ єׇӄӆӆӆіӄׇĴŁķ Ӆё єׇӄӆӆӆіӋё ĴŁķ єׇӄӆӆӆіӄӃӇׇłĹ ŇĻĸ ňĵĿļĶ ĸĴĿŇĻ łķĸє conducts field oversight operations targeting the companies involved in recovering these objects, combined with unannounced inspections on the removal sites. ŁķŅĴ ĸņŇļŀĴŇĸņ ŇĻĴŇ ņłŀĸ ӇӃёӃӃӃׇŅĴķļłĴĶŇļʼnĸ ĿļĺĻŇŁļŁĺ ĶłŁķňĶі ŇłŅņ ŊĸŅĸ ļŁņŇĴĿĿĸķ ļŁ ŅĴŁĶĸє ĸĴŅĿŌ ӄӃёӃӃӃׇĻĴʼnĸ ĴĿŅĸĴķŌ ĵĸĸŁ removed and recovered by Andra. The current rate of removal ļņ ĴĵłňŇ ӆӈӃׇŃĸŅ ŌĸĴŅє א ِ ב Áǝƺ ȸƺǕɖǼƏɎȒȸɵ ƬǝƏȇǕƺɀ א ِ ב ِ׏ ÁǣǕǝɎƺȇǣȇǕ Ɏǝƺ ȸƺǕɖǼƏɎǣȒȇ Ȓǔ ƺǼƺƬɎȸǣƬƏǼ ƳƺɮǣƬƺɀ ǕƺȇƺȸƏɎǣȇǕ ǣȒȇǣɀǣȇǕ ȸƏƳǣƏɎǣȒȇ ASN considers that the regulatory oversight of suppliers of electrical ionising radiation generators is still insufficient, when the placing of devices on the market is so vitally important for the optimisation of the future radiation exposure of users. The work carried out by ASN in this area, which at present is directed towards the use of these generators, particularly in enclosures, ĻĴņ Ŀĸķ Ňł ŇĻĸ ŃňĵĿļĶĴŇļłŁ łĹ ŅĸņłĿňŇļłŁ ӅӃӄӊі іӃӈӌӄׇłĹ ӄӆׇ ňŁĸׇӅӃӄӊ ņĸŇŇļŁĺ ŇĻĸ ŀļŁļŀňŀ ŇĸĶĻŁļĶĴĿ ķĸņļĺŁ ŅňĿĸņ applicable to facilities that use X-rays. Ļļņ ŅĸņłĿňŇļłŁ ĶĴŀĸ ļŁŇł ĸĹĹĸĶŇ łŁ ӄׇ ĶŇłĵĸŅ ӅӃӄӊє Ň ŅĸŃĿĴĶĸņ ŅĸņłĿňŇļłŁ ӅӃӄӆі іӃӆӇӌׇłĹ Ӈׇ ňŁĸ ӅӃӄӆׇŊļŇĻłňŇ ĶŅĸĴŇļŁĺ additional requirements for already compliant facilities. It concerns facilities in the industrial and scientific (research) sectors, such as industrial X-ray radiography in bunkers and veterinary radiology. It takes account of experience feedback and sets the radiation protection goals by adopting a graded approach to the risks. ASN considers that these provisions, which are directed exclusively at the use of these devices, must be supplemented by provisions concerning their actual design. This is because, for electrical devices used for non-medical purposes, there is no equivalent of the CE marking that is mandatory for medical devices, certifying conformity with several European standards that cover various aspects, including radiation ŃŅłŇĸĶŇļłŁє ňŅŇĻĸŅŀłŅĸё ĸŋŃĸŅļĸŁĶĸ ĹĸĸķĵĴĶľ ņĻłŊņ ŇĻĴŇ Ĵ ĿĴŅĺĸ number of devices do not have a certificate of conformity to ŇĻĸ ņŇĴŁķĴŅķņ ĴŃŃĿļĶĴĵĿĸ ļŁ ŅĴŁĶĸє Ļĸņĸ ņŇĴŁķĴŅķņ ĻĴʼnĸ ĵĸĸŁ mandatory for many years now, but some of their requirements have become partly obsolete or inapplicable due to the lack of recent revisions. On the basis of the work done in collaboration with the Electrical Certification and Testing Entity for Bureau Véritas (LCIE), the Alternative energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and IRSN, draft texts have been produced with the aim of defining minimum radiation protection requirements for the design of X-ray generators; an informal technical consultation of the ņŇĴľĸĻłĿķĸŅņ ҎņňŃŃĿļĸŅņё ŅĸŁĶĻ ĴŁķ ĹłŅĸļĺŁ ŀĴŁňĹĴĶŇňŅĸŅņ ĴŁķ ŇĻĸ principal users) was conducted in 2015. The various contributions are currently being analysed with the assistance of IRSN and the reference players (CEA and LCIE). The conclusions of this work will be taken into account to adapt the regulatory framework and subject the distribution of devices generating ionising radiation Ňł ĿļĶĸŁņļŁĺё ļŁ ŇĻĸ ņĴŀĸ ŊĴŌ Ĵņ ĹłŅ ŅĴķļłĴĶŇļʼnĸ ņłňŅĶĸņє Ł ӅӃӄӌё ASN worked on various scenarios for regulating the design of industrial radiology devices which must now be discussed with the Labour Department (DGT). א ِ ב ِ א XȅȵǼƺȅƺȇɎƏɎǣȒȇ Ȓǔ ȒɮƺȸɀǣǕǝɎ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ ȵȸȒɎƺƬɎǣȒȇ Ȓǔ ǣȒȇǣɀǣȇǕ ȸƏƳǣƏɎǣȒȇ ɀȒɖȸƬƺɀ ƏǕƏǣȇɀɎ ȅƏǼǣƬǣȒɖɀ ƏƬɎ Although the safety and radiation protection measures provided for by the regulations guarantee a certain degree of protection of ionising radiation sources against the risk of malicious acts, they cannot be considered sufficient. Reinforcing of the oversight of protection against malicious acts targeting sealed radioactive sources has therefore been encouraged by the International Atomic Energy ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 237 ׎ ٲ ז SOURCES OF IONISING RADIATION AND THEIR INDUSTRIAL, VETERINARY AND RESEARCH APPLICATIONS 08