Abstracts ASN Report 2019

ב ِ א ِ א Áǝƺ ȸƏƳǣƏɎǣȒȇ ȵȸȒɎƺƬɎǣȒȇ ɀǣɎɖƏɎǣȒȇ BNIs excluded, ASN carried out ten inspections in this sector in ӅӊׇĿļĶĸŁņĸķ ĶłŀŃĴŁļĸņ ҎŊĻļĶĻ ŅĸŃŅĸņĸŁŇ Ĵ ĹĿĸĸŇ łĹ ӆӉׇĹĴĶļĿļŇļĸņҏє These inspections show that the radiation protection organisation (in particular the appointing of a Radiation Protection Advisor) ĴŁķ ŇĻĸ ŅĴķļłĿłĺļĶĴĿ ōłŁļŁĺ ŃňŇ ļŁ ŃĿĴĶĸ łŁ ŇĻĸ ŃŅĸŀļņĸņ łĹ ŇĻĸ inspected licensees are satisfactory; no significant deviations from the regulations were observed. The risk is well controlled, in particular thanks to the satisfactory verification, upkeep and maintenance of the facilities in accordance with the provisions described in the licensing applications. Only one significant radiation protection event was reported to ASN; it concerned the jamming of a source (see box opposite). ב ِ ב ¨ƏȸɎǣƬǼƺ ƏƬƬƺǼƺȸƏɎȒȸɀ ב ِ ב ِ׏ Áǝƺ ƳƺɮǣƬƺɀ ɖɀƺƳ A particle accelerator is defined as a device or installation in which electrically charged particles undergo acceleration, ĸŀļŇŇļŁĺ ļłŁļņļŁĺ ŅĴķļĴŇļłŁ ĴŇ ĴŁ ĸŁĸŅĺŌ ĿĸʼnĸĿ ļŁ ĸŋĶĸņņ łĹ ӄׇ ĸ (megaelectronvolt). ĻĸŁ ŇĻĸŌ ŀĸĸŇ ŇĻĸ ĶĻĴŅĴĶŇĸŅļņŇļĶņ ņŃĸĶļĹļĸķ ļŁ ŅŇļĶĿĸ єׇӈӌӆіӆ of the Environment Code concerning the BNI nomenclature, these facilities are listed as BNIs. Some applications necessitate the use of beams of photons or ĸĿĸĶŇŅłŁņ ŃŅłķňĶĸķ ĵŌ ŃĴŅŇļĶĿĸ ĴĶĶĸĿĸŅĴŇłŅņє Ļĸ ŅĸŁĶĻ ĹĿĸĸŇ of particle accelerators, whether linear (linacs) or circular ҎņŌŁĶĻŅłŇŅłŁņҏё ĶłŀŃŅļņĸņ ĴĵłňŇ ӉӃׇĿļņŇĸķ ĹĴĶļĿļŇļĸņ ҎĸŋĶĿňķļŁĺ cyclotrons –see point 4.2– and excluding BNIs), totalling slightly over one hundred accelerators, which can be used in highly diverse areas, such as: Ҋ research, which sometimes requires the coupling of several machines (accelerator, implanter, etc.); Ҋ radiography (fixed or mobile accelerator); Ҋ radioscopy of lorries and containers during customs checks (fixed-site or mobile accelerators); Ҋ modification of material properties; Ҋ sterilisation; Ҋ conservation of foodstuffs; Ҋ … In the field of research, two synchrotron radiation production ĹĴĶļĿļŇļĸņ ĶĴŁ ĵĸ ŀĸŁŇļłŁĸķ ļŁ ŅĴŁĶĸѓ ŇĻĸ Ҏ ňŅłŃĸĴŁ ŌŁĶĻŅłŇŅłŁ ĴķļĴŇļłŁ ĴĶļĿļŇŌҏ ļŁ ŅĸŁłĵĿĸё ĴŁķ ŇĻĸ łĿĸļĿ (Optimised Source of Energy Light) synchrotron in Gif-sur-Yvette. Particle accelerators have been used for a few years now in ŅĴŁĶĸ Ňł ĹļĺĻŇ ĹŅĴňķ ĴŁķ ĿĴŅĺĸіņĶĴĿĸ ļŁŇĸŅŁĴŇļłŁĴĿ ŇŅĴĹĹļĶľļŁĺє This technology, which the operators consider effective, must however be used under certain specific conditions in order to comply with the radiation protection rules applicable to workers and the public, in particular: Ҋ a ban on activation of construction products, consumer goods ĴŁķ ĹłłķņŇňĹĹņ Ĵņ ņŃĸĶļĹļĸķ ĵŌ ŅŇļĶĿĸ єׇӄӆӆӆіӅׇłĹ ŇĻĸ ňĵĿļĶ Health Code, by ensuring that the maximum energy of the particles emitted by the accelerators used excludes any risk of activation of the materials being verified; Ҋ a ban on the use of ionising radiation on the human body for purposes other than medical; ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 247 ׎ ٲ ז SOURCES OF IONISING RADIATION AND THEIR INDUSTRIAL, VETERINARY AND RESEARCH APPLICATIONS 08 ȇ ǣȸȸƏƳǣƏɎȒȸ ƏɎ !0 ³ƏƬǼƏɵ ȒɖɎ Ȓǔ ɀƺȸɮǣƬƺ ǔȒȸ ɀƺɮƺȸƏǼ ȅȒȇɎǝɀ …ȇ ׏ ژ hɖǼɵ א ׎׏ ח ً ƏɎ Ɏǝƺ ƺȇƳ Ȓǔ Əȇ ǣȸȸƏƳǣƏɎǣȒȇ ƬƏȅȵƏǣǕȇ ǣȇ ژ Ɏǝƺ (…³0…ǔƏƬǣǼǣɎɵ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ IȸƺȇƬǝ ǼɎƺȸȇƏɎǣɮƺ 0ȇƺȸǕǣƺɀ and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) Paris Saclay (used ǔȒȸ ژ ȸƺɀƺƏȸƬǝ ƏȵȵǼǣƬƏɎǣȒȇɀ ƏȇƳ ƫȸƏƬǝɵɎǝƺȸƏȵɵ ȅƺɎȸȒǼȒǕɵ ƏȵȵǼǣƬƏɎǣȒȇɀ٣ً Ɏǝƺ ȒȵƺȸƏɎȒȸ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ JƏȅȅƏƫƺƏȅ ژ æ א ׎׎ ® (manufactured by the Canadian company Best Theratronics), working from the control console, did not ȅƏȇƏǕƺ ɎȒ ȸƺɎɖȸȇ Ɏǝƺ ƬȒƫƏǼɎ הٮ ׎ ژ ɀȒɖȸƬƺ ɎȒ Ɏǝƺ ɀƏǔƺ ȵȒɀǣɎǣȒȇ inside the internal shielding provided for that purpose. Áǝǣɀ ɀȒɖȸƬƺ ǣɀ Ə ǝǣǕǝ ٮ ƏƬɎǣɮǣɎɵ ɀƺƏǼƺƳ ɀȒɖȸƬƺ Ȓǔ ƬƏɎƺǕȒȸɵ ژ (residual activity on the day of the incident of about דא ׎ ژ Á ȷ٣ً Ɏǝƺ ƬƏɎƺǕȒȸɵ ɎǝƏɎ ȵȸƺɀƺȇɎɀ Ɏǝƺ ǕȸƺƏɎƺɀɎ radiation exposure risks. Consequently, given the level of ionising radiation in the bunker containing the irradiator, all access to the bunker was prohibited. After examining a specific protocol that led to ASN issuing an approval, a robotic intervention was carried ȒɖɎ ǣȇ Ɏǝƺ ƫɖȇǸƺȸ ƏɎ Ɏǝƺ ƺȇƳ Ȓǔ hɖǼɵ א ׎׏ ژח ƫɵ Ɏǝƺ ǕȸȒɖȵ XzÁ« ً Ȓȇƺ Ȓǔ ژ Ɏǝƺ ǔƺɯ IȸƺȇƬǝ ƬȒȅȵƏȇǣƺɀ ɯǣɎǝ Ɏǝƺ ȅƺƏȇɀ ȇƺƬƺɀɀƏȸɵ ɎȒ ژ ȒȵƺȸƏɎƺ ǣȇ ɀɖƬǝ ȸƏƳǣȒǼȒǕǣƬƏǼ environments. The remotely-controlled robots removed the irradiation phantom (*) from the direct beam of the device (thereby eliminating the radiation diffused by the phantom), placed a lead shield in front of the direct beam exit (thereby eliminating the risk of a worker crossing it later) and produced a detailed mapping of the ambient radiation level inside the bunker. The reduction in the ambient radiation level and the detailed mapping should thus allow human intervention on the device in the near future in order to return the irradiation source to the safe position. This intervention would consist in using a specific tool to push the source into the safe position inside the internal shielding of the device. The probable cause of the failure of the irradiator was reportedly the loss of the compressed air supply that enables the source to move. As the compressed air supply is situated inside the bunker, it is not possible to repair it when the source is not in the safe position. The exact cause will be confirmed after conducting the investigations that will be possible once the source is returned to the safe position; ASN will be attentive to the implementation of corrective measures intended to prevent such an event from occurring again. * Artefact constructed to simulate the scattering properties of the human body or parts of the human body such as the ƺɴɎȸƺȅǣɎǣƺɀ٫ ³ɵȇƬǝȸȒɎȸȒȇɀ The synchrotron is a member of the same circular particle accelerator family as the cyclotron (see point 4-2), but is far larger, enabling energies of several gigaelectronvolts to be achieved by means of successive accelerations. Owing to the low mass of the particles (generally electrons) the acceleration created by the curvature of their trajectory in a storage ring, produces an electromagnetic wave when the speeds achieved become relativistic: this is synchrotron radiation. This radiation is collected at various locations called beam lines and is used to conduct scientific experiments.