ASN Report 2020

which will be available on asn.fr , review and assessment by ASN within reduced to six months, the with silence after six months being considered as acceptance of registration of the applicant nuclear activity. Entry into effect of the registration system should ultimately concern between 1,200 and 2,000 licensees in industry, research and veterinary applications, hitherto subject to the licensing system. However, as is the case with the notification system, the number will not be able to be accurately quantified until a five-year period has expired (1 July 2026). This is because, in accordance with the principle of grandfathering, the licenses issued before 1 January 2021 will act as registration until the license reaches term, on condition that in the interim there is no change in the nuclear activity. 2.4.4 Statistics for the year 2020 Suppliers In view of the fundamental role played by the suppliers of radioactive sources or devices containing them in the radiation protection of future users (see point 2.4.1), ASN exercises tightened oversight in this field. During 2020, 103 radioactive source supply license applications or license renewal applications were examined by ASN, and 27 inspections were carried out (all ionising radiation sources combined). Users The case of radioactive sources In 2020, ASN examined and notified 12 new licenses, 307 license renewals or updates and 81 license cancellations. Graph 6 shows the licenses issued or cancelled in 2020 and the trend for these data over the last five years. In 2020, ASN also issued 1,218 notification acknowledgements for sealed radioactive sources. The entry into effect of ASN resolution 2018-DC-0649 of 18 October mentioned in point 2.4.2 is the main reason for the very large drop in the number of licenses issued in favour of the issuance of notification acknowledgements, and illustrates the concrete application of the graded approach to risk control. Once the license or notification acknowledgement is obtained, the holder can procure sources. To do this, it collects supply request forms from the IRSN, enabling the Institute to verify – as part of its duty to keep the national inventory of ionising radiation sources up to date – that the orders are in conformity with the license or notification acknowledgement issued to the user and the license of its supplier. If the order is correct, the transfer is then recorded by the IRSN, which notifies the interested parties that delivery can take place. In the event of difficulty, the transfer is not validated and the IRSN refers the case to ASN (see box page 251). Cases of ionising radiation generators ASN has been responsible for the oversight of these devices since 2002, devices for which numerous administrative compliance actions are still required. In 2020, ASN granted 41 new licenses and 174 license renewals or updates for the use of X‑ray generators. It also issued 787 notification acknowledgements for devices emitting ionising radiation. As with radioactive sources, the large reduction in the number of licenses issued and, conversely, the significant increase in notification acknowledgements, are direct consequence of the entry into effect of the abovementioned ASN resolution 2018-DC-0649 of 18 October 2018. A total of 1,995 licenses and 6,980 notification acknowledgements have been issued for devices emitting ionising radiation since 2002. Graph 7 illustrates the trend for the last few years. 3. Assessment of the radiation protection situation in applications involving radiation risks in the industrial, research and veterinary sectors 3.1  Industrial radiography 3.1.1 The devices used Gamma radiography Gamma radiography is a non-destructive inspection method used for detecting homogeneity defects in materials such as weld beads. It involves obtaining a radiographic image on silver-based or digital media using the gamma rays emitted by a radioactive source and passing through the object to inspect. It is widely used in fabrication and maintenance operations in diverse industrial sectors such as boilermaking, petrochemicals, Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), public works, aeronautics and armament. Gamma radiography devices contain high-activity sealed sources, mainly iridium-192, cobalt-60 or selenium-75, whose activity can reach about 20 terabecquerels (TBq). A gamma radiography device is usually a mobile device which can be moved from one worksite to another. It consists primarily of: ∙ a source projector which acts as a storage container and ensures radiological protection when the source is not in use; ∙ a guide tube which guides the movement of the source up to the object to be examined; ∙ and a remote control cable allowing remote manipulation by the operator. When the source is ejected out of the device, the dose rates can reach several grays per hour at one metre (m) from the device, depending on the radionuclide and its activity level. As a result of the activity of the sources and the movement of the sources outside the storage container when the device is being used, gamma radiography can entail significant risks for the operators in the event of incorrect use, failure to comply with radiation protection rules, or operating incidents. Furthermore, these gamma radiography activities are often carried out on work sites under difficult conditions (working at night, or in The Covid-19 pandemic has led ASN, in the industry, research and veterinary sectors, to reduce the initially planned overall inspection programme by about 15% to adapt to the exceptional circumstances, which have had significant effects on the conditions of operation of certain licensees, some of whom have reduced or even temporarily stopped their activities after placing their facilities in safe condition, and to the travel restrictions imposed by the Government. Furthermore, some of the inspections were carried out remotely. This has made comparison with preceding years more difficult. The sections relative to the radiation protection situation of points 3 and 4 below must therefore be read taking into consideration the particular inspection conditions of the year 2020. THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 253 08 – SOURCES OF IONISING RADIATION AND THEIR INDUSTRIAL, VETERINARY AND RESEARCH APPLICATIONS 08