Abstracts ASN Report 2019

ASN has identified areas for progress which will be subject to particular scrutiny in the next inspections, more particularly concerning the classification of people working with ionising radiation –which is generally overestimated by employers– and the failure to systematically put in place systems for recording and analysing adverse events and Significant Radiation protection Events (ESRs). In effect, among the inspected entities, 27% still do not have ņňĶĻ Ĵ ņŌņŇĸŀ ҎĴŁ ļŀŃŅłʼnĸŀĸŁŇ ĶłŀŃĴŅĸķ ŊļŇĻ ŇĻĸ ӆӈՌ ļŁ ӅӃӄӋё ŁłŁĸŇĻĸĿĸņņҏє Ł ӅӃӄӌё ŅĸĶłŅķĸķ Ӆӊׇ ņ ĶłŁĶĸŅŁļŁĺ ŅĸņĸĴŅĶĻ activities (see Graph 12). The reported significant events are essentially of three types: Ҋ discovery of sources (41%); Ҋ unauthorised discharging of radionuclides into the environ- ment or waste disposal via ŇĻĸ ŊŅłŁĺ ŅłňŇĸ ҎӋՌҏђ Ҋ exposure or contamination of workers during the handling of unsealed sources (26%). The predominance of the first two causes of ESRs tallies with ĹļŁķļŁĺņ ŀĴķĸ ĹłŅ ŇĻĸ ӅӃӄӉіӅӃӄӋׇŃĸŅļłķє Ļĸ ķļņĶłʼnĸŅļĸņ łĹ sources can be explained in particular by poor overall traceability: as was emphasised above, a lack of measures in the past to dispose of the sources when the laboratories ceased their activities, and/or irregular and non-exhaustive inventorying of sources. The unauthorised discharging of radionuclides into the environment and the directing of waste to an inappropriate disposal route are linked to the type of sources used in this sector, these being mainly unsealed sources. Such events must be reported to ASN, even in the case of misdirected waste being recovered and redirected to the appropriate disposal routes. With regard to cases of unintended exposure or contamination łĹ ŊłŅľĸŅņё ŇĻĸļŅ ŁňŀĵĸŅ ļŁĶŅĸĴņĸķ ņĿļĺĻŇĿŌ ļŁ ӅӃӄӌє Ļĸ ĴŁĴĿŌņĸņ have shown that the doses received by workers nevertheless remain well below the regulatory limits. Lastly, ASN is continuing its collaboration with the General Inspectorate of the National Education and Research Administration (IGAENR), which has competence for labour inspection in the public research sector. An agreement signed in ӅӃӄӇׇŃŅłʼnļķĸņ ĹłŅ ŀňŇňĴĿ ļŁĹłŅŀĴŇļłŁ ņĻĴŅļŁĺё ŊĻļĶĻ ļŀŃŅłʼnĸņ ŇĻĸ effectiveness and complementarity of the inspections. An annual meeting is held to assess the functioning of this collaboration. ׭٫ ڲ Manufacturers and distributors of radioactive sources and their oversight by ASN ג ِ׏ Áǝƺ ǣɀɀɖƺɀ ƏȇƳ ǣȅȵǼǣƬƏɎǣȒȇɀ The aim of ASN oversight of the suppliers of radioactive sources or devices containing them is to ensure the radiation protection of the future users. It is based on the technical examination of the devices and sources with respect to operating safety and radiation protection conditions during future utilisation and maintenance. It also allows the tracking of source transfers and the recovery and disposal of disused or end-of-life sources. Source suppliers also play a teaching role with respect to users. At present, only the suppliers of sealed radioactive sources or devices containing them, and of unsealed radioactive sources, are ŅĸĺňĿĴŇĸķ ļŁ ŅĴŁĶĸ Ҏņĸĸ ŃłļŁŇ Ӆєӆєӄҏє ĻĸŅĸ ĴŅĸ ĴĵłňŇ ӄӈӃׇņňŃŃĿļĸŅņ ŊļŇĻ ņĴĹĸŇŌіņļĺŁļĹļĶĴŁŇ ĵňņļŁĸņņё ĴŁķ ĴŀłŁĺ ŇĻĸŀё ӆӆׇĿłŊ ĴŁķ medium-energy cyclotrons are currently licensed under the Public ĸĴĿŇĻ łķĸ ļŁ ŅĴŁĶĸє ג ِ א !ɵƬǼȒɎȸȒȇɀ • IɖȇƬɎǣȒȇǣȇǕ ņ ĴŇ ӆӄׇ ĸĶĸŀĵĸŅ ӅӃӄӌё ӅӌׇĶŌĶĿłŇŅłŁņ ŊĸŅĸ ļŁ łŃĸŅĴŇļłŁє ŀłŁĺ ŇĻĸņĸё ӄӉׇĴŅĸ ňņĸķ ĸŋĶĿňņļʼnĸĿŌ ĹłŅ ŇĻĸ ķĴļĿŌ ŃŅłķňĶŇļłŁ łĹ ŅĴķļłі ŃĻĴŅŀĴĶĸňŇļĶĴĿņё ӉׇĴŅĸ ňņĸķ ĹłŅ ŅĸņĸĴŅĶĻ ŃňŅŃłņĸņ ĴŁķ ӊׇĴŅĸ ňņĸķ exclusively for joint production and research purposes. • Áǝƺ ƏɀɀƺɀɀȅƺȇɎ Ȓǔ ȸƏƳǣƏɎǣȒȇ ȵȸȒɎƺƬɎǣȒȇ ǣȇ Ɏǝƺ ƏȸƺƏ Ȓǔ ƬɵƬǼȒɎȸȒȇɀ ĻĴņ ĸŋĸŅĶļņĸķ ļŇņ łʼnĸŅņļĺĻŇ ŅłĿĸ ļŁ ŇĻļņ ĴŅĸĴ ņļŁĶĸ ĸĴŅĿŌׇӅӃӄӃђ each new facility or any major modification to an existing facility undergoes a comprehensive review by ASN. The main radiation protection issues on these facilities must be considered as of the design stage. Application of industrial standards, ŃĴŅŇļĶňĿĴŅĿŌ ņŇĴŁķĴŅķ ӉӅіӄӃӈׇѢ ŁķňņŇŅļĴĿ ĴĶĶĸĿĸŅĴŇłŅņѓ ļŁņŇĴĿĿĴŇļłŁņѣё ׇӄӃӉӇӋіӅ Ѣ łŁŇĴļŁŀĸŁŇ ĸŁĶĿłņňŅĸņѣ ĴŁķ ׇӄӊӋӊӆ Ѣ ĸŁŇļĿĴŇļłŁ ņŌņŇĸŀņ ĹłŅ ŁňĶĿĸĴŅ ļŁņŇĴĿĿĴŇļłŁņѣё guarantees safe utilisation of the equipment and brings a significant reduction in risks. ĴĶļĿļŇļĸņ ŇĻĴŇ ĻĴʼnĸ Ĵ ĶŌĶĿłŇŅłŁ ňņĸķ Ňł ŃŅłķňĶĸ ŅĴķļłŁňĶĿļķĸņ and products containing radionuclides are subject to gaseous effluent discharge limits specified in their license. The discharge levels depend on the frequency and types of production involved. Systems for filtering and trapping the gaseous effluents are installed in the production enclosures and in the facilities’ ventilation systems in order to minimise the activity discharged at the stack outlet. Some licensees have also installed –as close as possible to the shielded enclosures– systems for collecting and storing the gases to let them decay before being discharged, bringing a substantial reduction in the activities discharged into the environment. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 251 ׎ ٲ ז SOURCES OF IONISING RADIATION AND THEIR INDUSTRIAL, VETERINARY AND RESEARCH APPLICATIONS 08 «ƺɀƺƏȸƬǝ ƏƬɎǣɮǣɎǣƺɀ The use of ionising radiation in research activities extends to various fields such as medical research, molecular biology, the agri-food industry, materials characterisation, etc. It primarily involves the use of unsealed sources (iodine-125, phosphorous-32, phosphorous-33, sulphur-35, tritium-3, carbon-14, etc.). Sealed sources (barium-133, nickel-63, caesium-137, cobalt-60, etc.) are also used in gas chromatographs Ȓȸ ژ ɀƬǣȇɎǣǼǼƏɎǣȒȇ ƬȒɖȇɎƺȸɀ Ȓȸً ɯǣɎǝ ǝǣǕǝƺȸ ٮ ƏƬɎǣɮǣɎɵ ɀȒɖȸƬƺɀً ǣȇ ژ ǣȸȸƏƳǣƏɎȒȸɀِ X-ray generators rays are used for X-ray fluorescence or X-ray diffraction spectrum analyses. The use of scanners for small animals (cancer research) in research laboratories and faculties of medicine should also be noted. Particle accelerators are used in research into matter or for the manufacture of radionuclides.