Notification and authorization for the use of radiation sources (supplement to IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GS-G-1.5)

The achievement and maintenance of a high level of safety in the use of radiation sources depend on there being a sound legal and governmental infrastructure, including a national regulatory body with well-defined responsibilities and functions. These responsibilities and functions include establishing and implementing a system for notification and authorization for control over radiation sources, including a system for review and assessment of applications for authorization. The Safety Requirements publication entitled Legal and Governmental Infrastructure for Nuclear, Radiation, Radioactive Waste and Transport Safety establishes the requirements for legal and governmental infrastructure. The term 'infrastructure' refers to the underlying structure of systems and organizations. This includes requirements concerning the establishment of a regulatory body for radiation sources and the responsibilities and functions assigned to it. The International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (the Basic Safety Standards or the BSS) establish basic requirements for protection against risks associated with exposure to ionizing radiation and for the safety of radiation sources. The application of the BSS is based on the presumption that national infrastructures are in place to enable governments to discharge their responsibilities to for radiation protection and safety. This TECDOC provides practical guidance on the process for dealing with applications for authorization and accepting notifications to regulatory bodies. Examples of guidelines that may be used by persons required to notify or apply for authorization and of the regulatory body's review and assessment procedures are provided in the Appendices. The TECDOC is oriented towards national regulatory infrastructures concerned with protection and safety for radiation sources used in medicine, industry, agriculture, research and education