Finally, with regard to on-site transports at nuclear sites, three events rated level 0 on the INES scale, and one level 1 event were notified in 2023. The number of events rated level 0 is stable by comparison with 2022. For the event rated level 1, this is the first one regarding on-site transports since ASN’s on-line notification system was set up. Sectors concerned by these events As in 2022, most of the significant events notified concern the nuclear industry. Only 15% of the events are related to non-nuclear industry transports. In addition, by comparison with 2022, the number of transport events involving pharmaceutical products fell slightly: they account for 31% of significant events (as opposed to 38% in 2022). The events rated level 1 on the INES scale in 2023 are: ∙ the theft of a low-level sealed radioactive source during transport was rated INES level 1, on the grounds of a lack of radiation protection culture; ∙ the second public highway transport event rated INES level 1 concerns failure to engage the five ball-lock pins participating in the closure system of the UX-30 overpacks containing a 30B cylinder loaded with UF6. The grounds were noncompliance with the package model safety case; ∙ and finally, the last event rated level 1 on the INES scale concerns non-compliance with a regulatory limit for controlling the criticality risk during on-site transports. None of these three level 1 events on the INES scale had any consequences for the workers, population, or environment. Graph 5 shows the breakdown of significant events reported per notification criterion and Graph 6 presents their breakdown according to content and mode of transport. Causes of events The recurring causes of the significant events notified in 2023 include the following: ∙ nonconformities affecting the package: they primarily concern labelling faults (error or omission) or signalling faults and anomalies regarding the stipulations of the package model safety files. These events had no actual consequences for safety or radiation protection; ∙ the presence of surface contamination spots slightly exceeding the regulatory limits, detected on conveyances which have been used to transport spent fuel packages, gamma ray projectors or contaminated tooling, or on the outer surface of packagings. These events had very little impact on radiation protection of the workers but also of the public, who cannot have access to the contaminated areas; ∙ cases where the regulatory dose rate limit of the packages was slightly exceeded. These events had no actual consequences for the radiation protection of workers, the public or the environment; ∙ radiopharmaceutical products delivery errors, with no real consequences, as the products delivered are appreciably the same. Most of them could therefore be used with no impact on patient treatment or on the environment. The EITs reported to ASN are primarily deviations relating to incorrect labelling (detachment or error) of packages and the detection of foreign objects in empty packagings. As for the on-site transport significant events, these concern the absence of an internal lid on a container during transport, the recurrence of events concerning the 45g threshold of fissile material per package being exceeded, and a labelling error on a bottle transporting UF6. GRAPH Breakdown of notified transport events by content and mode of transport in 2023 6 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 UF6 Fresh fuels Contaminated materials and tools Non-nuclear industry radionuclides Medical radionuclides Empty packagings Solid waste and effluents Uranium compounds Spent fuels Road Sea Rail Air 284 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 • 09 • Transport of radioactive substances
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