validity by default for certain nuclear activities), the possibility of applying for registration via the on‑line registration service which is available on asn.fr, review and assessment by ASN within six months, 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, 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. 2.4.3 Statistics for the year 2023 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 2023, 89 radioactive source supply license applications or license renewal applications were examined by ASN, and 43 inspections were carried out (all ionising radiation sources combined). Users The case of radioactive sources In 2023, ASN examined and issued seven new licences, 174 license renewals or updates, 67 license cancellations, and 147 registration decisions. ASN also issued 672 notification acknowledgements for sealed radioactive sources in 2023. Graph 6 (see previous page) shows the regulatory acts issued by ASN for radioactive sources in 2023 and, where applicable, their development over the last five years. The entry into effect of ASN resolution 2018‑DC‑0649 of 18 October 2018 amended (see 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. This drop will become greater in the coming years as the new registration system (see point 2.4.2.) applicable since 1 July 2021 gradually increases in scale. Once the license, registration or notification acknowledgement is obtained, the holder can procure sources. To do this, it receives supply request forms from IRSN, enabling IRSN 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, registration or notification acknowledgement issued to the user and the license of its supplier. If the order is correct, the transfer is then recorded by IRSN, which notifies the interested parties that delivery can take place. In the event of difficulty, the transfer is not validated and IRSN refers the case to ASN (see box previous page). The case of electrical generators of ionising radiation ASN has been responsible for the oversight of these devices since 2023, devices for which numerous administrative compliance actions are still required. In 2023 it granted 23 new licenses, 130 license renewals or updates and issued 140 registration decisions for the use of electrical devices emitting X‑rays. ASN also delivered 649 notification acknowledgements for electrical generators of ionising radiation. As with radioactive sources, the large reduction in the number of licenses issued and, conversely, the significant increase in notification acknowledgements and issuing of the first registration decisions, are the direct consequence of the entry into effect of the abovementioned ASN resolutions 2018‑DC‑0649 of 18 October 2018 and 2021‑DC‑0703 of 4 February 2021. Altogether, 1,537 licences, 318 registrations and 9,069 notification acknowledgements for electrical devices emitting ionising radiation are in effect at the end of 2023. Graph 7 (see previous page) illustrates the development over 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 Industrial radiography is a non‑destructive inspection method that consists in obtaining an image of the material density of an object through which electromagnetic radiation is passed in the form of X‑rays or gamma rays (gamma radiography). The image is obtained via a detector which can be a photographic silver film, a photostimulable screen with reusable memory or a set of digital detectors. Industrial radiography can be used in particular to assess defects in material uniformity, such as weld beads, or to check for fatigue. It is widely used in fabrication and maintenance operations in diverse industrial sectors such as boilermaking, petrochemicals, nuclear power plants, public works, aeronautics and armament. Radiography can be carried out in an indoor facility (in which case physical protection of the operators is ensured by the facility’s radiation protection features and safety devices) or in worksite conditions (in which case the work area must be marked out). 3.1.1 The different methods used Gamma radiography Gamma radiography devices usually contain high‑activity sealed sources, mainly iridium‑192, cobalt‑60 or selenium‑75, whose activity can reach about twenty terabecquerels. 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 projector, the dose rates can reach several grays per hour at one metre from the source, 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, it is often carried out on work sites under difficult conditions (working at night, or in places that are exposed to the elements, or in cramped spaces). On this account, it is an activity with serious radiation protection implications that figures among ASN’s inspection priorities. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 255 • 08 • Sources of ionising radiation and their industrial, veterinary and research applications 08 05 15 11 04 14 06 07 13 AP 03 10 02 09 12 01
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