ASN Report 2020

Lastly, in 2020 as in the last few years, no cases of overexposure of industrial radiography operators were reported to ASN, even if several significant events linked to loss of source control (source “jamming”) did occur during the use of gamma ray projectors. These events were correctly diagnosed by the operators and the persons concerned did not undertake any inappropriate or prohibited operations. For example, the ASN inspectors tasked with checking implementation of protection measures around a defective device pending its placing in safe condition within the Total group’s Feyzin oil refinery in the Rhône département observed that the situation was correctly managed by those concerned. ASN draws that attention of companies having gamma radiography inspections carried out in their facilities to the consequences of the radioactive source getting jammed outside the gamma ray projector, and especially the setting up of an exclusion zone for the time necessary to definitively place the source in safe condition, which can often be several days. 3.2  Industrial irradiators 3.2.1 The devices used Industrial irradiation is used for sterilising medical equipment, pharmaceutical or cosmetic products and for the conservation of foodstuffs. It is also a means of voluntarily modifying the properties of materials, for example, to harden polymers. These consumer product irradiation techniques can be authorised because, after being treated, these products display no residual artificial radioactivity (the products are sterilised by passing through radiation without themselves being “activated” by the treatment). Industrial irradiators often use cobalt-60 sources, whose activity can be very high and exceed 250,000 terabecquerels (TBq). Some of these installations are classified as BNIs (see chapter 12). In many sectors, X‑ray generators are gradually replacing high-activity sealed sources for the irradiation of products (see point 1.3.1). 3.2.2 The radiation protection situation BNIs excluded, ASN carried out 19 inspections from 2018 to 2020 (of which three were in 2020) in this sector, out of the 25 facilities currently licensed. These inspections show that the radiation protection organisation (in particular the appointing of a RPA), the radiological zoning put in place on the inspected licensees’ premises, the informing of new employees and the renewal of verifications are satisfactory, as no significant deviations from the regulations have been 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. Nevertheless, in one in five inspections ASN found that the verification of the safety systems needed to be improved. Moreover, the findings relative to the verification of the protection of sources of ionising radiation against malicious acts are also valid in this sector. ASN has thus observed that the individual Inspections relating to the protection of ionising radiation sources against malicious acts: key findings and trends In 2019 and 2020, during ASN inspections in facilities holding sealed radioactive sources of category A, B or C, either individually or in batches, the first four regulatory provisions applicable since 1 July 2018 relative to their protection against malicious acts were verified in 107 industrial facilities and 27 medical centres. The classification of radioactive sources or batches of sources into the different categories has been carried out on slightly more than half the facilities (54% [ ↑ ] (1) for the industrial sector and 59% [ ↑ ] for the medical sector), while the remaining facilities have applied the classification only partially (21% [ ↓ ] and 33% [ ↓ ] respectively), or not at all (24% [ ↓ ] and 7% [ ≈ ] respectively). The individual authorisations that the person responsible for the nuclear activity must issue to grant access to these radioactive sources or batches of sources, their transportation or access to the information relative to the means or measures for protecting them, have been granted to only a small extent in the facilities inspected. Only 33% [ ↑ ] of the industrial facilities and one medical centre (compared with none in 2019) comply with this requirement as a matter of course. The provisions are partially satisfied in 26% [ ↑ ] of the industrial facilities and 33% [ ↑ ] of the medical centres: the authorisations are thus only issued to some of the people who need them or without considering the real needs to have them. In the other cases (41% [ ↓ ] and 63% [ ↓ ] respectively), no authorisation was granted. Nevertheless, the measures taken to prevent unauthorised access to the sources were deemed satisfactory in the large majority of industrial facilities (86% [ ↓ ]), whereas in the medical sector less than half of the centres meet the applicable measures at present (43% [ ↑ ]).This assessment must however be considered with caution: it is very likely to change once the protection systems (physical in particular) prescribed by the Order of 29 November 2019 relative to the protection of ionising radiation sources and batches of sources in categories A, B, C and D against malicious become applicable. Lastly, the majority of the source inventories held by the facilities are consistent with the national inventory held by the French Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) (complete correspondence in 74% [ ≈ ] of cases for the industrial sector and 81% [ ↑ ] for the medical sector), thus allowing rapid identification of the holding entity and site if necessary. Between 2019 and 2020, ASN has thus observed a slight improvement in the application of the first four regulatory provisions relative to the protection of category A, B or C radioactive sources against malicious acts in the inspected facilities, except as regards measures to prevent unauthorised access to these sources, which seems to be at a standstill. The Covid-19 pandemic has reduced the number of inspections performed by the ASN, particularly in the medical centres holding sealed radioactive sources in categories B or C, where inspections dropped by half between 2019 and 2020. Consequently, the change trends for medical centres must be considered with caution. 1. The change in trends between 2019 and 2020 is indicated by the symbols [ ↑ ] (rise), [ ↓ ] (drop) and [ ≈ ] (stable). ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 257 08 – SOURCES OF IONISING RADIATION AND THEIR INDUSTRIAL, VETERINARY AND RESEARCH APPLICATIONS 08